THE STORY 



OF THE 



BOOK OF MORMON. 



By ELDER GEORGE REYNOLDS. 

Author of "The Myth of the Manuscript Found." "Are We of Israel?' 
Treatise on "The Book of Abraham;" 



"Truth shall spring out of the earth ; and righteousness shall look down 
from heaven."— Psalm, LXXXV, u. 



Wiblp 0riginal \ llusbpabions. 

BY G. M. OTTINGER, WM. T. ARMITAGE, JOHN HELD, W. G. MORRIS AND OTHERS. 




Salt Lake City: 
JOS. HYRUM PARRY, Publisher. 

1885. 



Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1888, by 
GEORGE REYNOLDS 
AND 

JOSEPH HYRUM PARRY, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



Of. 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 



029199 



PREFACE. 



|HE BOOK OF MORMON is the record of God's 
<s~z dealings with the peoples of ancient America, 
from the age of the building of the Tower of 
Babel to four hundred and twenty-one years after the 
birth of Christ. It is the stick of Ephraim, spoken of 
by Ezekiel; the Bible of the western continent. Not 
that it supersedes the Bible or in any way interferes 
with it, any more than the history of Peru interferes 
with or supersedes the history of Greece; but, on the 
other hand, in many places it confirms Bible history, 
demonstrates Bible truths, sustains Bible doctrines, 
and fulfils Bible prophecy. 

For many years we have taken great pleasure in 
perusing its sacred pages and studying its truths. The 
more we read it the more we found it contained. Like 
other inspired records, every time it was opened we dis- 
covered new and ofttimes unexpected testimonies of its 
divinity. From reading it we turned to writing of it ; 
and much that this volume contains has been penned 
at various intervals, from the days we were in prison 
for conscience sake, where portions were written, to the 
present. And now we present it to the reader with the 
feeliug that the work is but commenced; that what 
remains unsaid is probably as important as what is 
given, but with the hope that what we have done will 
not prove ineffectual in spreading the truth, in increas- 
ing knowledge concerning God's dealings with man- 
kind, and aiding in the development of the purposes of 



IV 



PREFACE. 



Jehovah. If this be accomplished we shall feel that 
great has been our reward. 

This volume presents one unique feature, in that 
it is the first attempt made to illustrate the Book of 
Mormon ; and we have pleasure in realizing that the 
leading illustrations are the work of home artists. To 
break fresh ground in such a direction is no light 
undertaking; the difficulties are numerous, none more 
so than the absence of information in the Book of 
Mormon of the dress and artificial surroundings of 
the peoples whose history it recounts. Each artist 
has given his own ideas of the scenes depicted, and 
as so much is left to the imagination, some readers will 
doubtless praise where others will blame ; and the same 
effort will be the subject of the most conflicting 
criticism. 

Not the least interesting feature of the book will, 
we believe, be found in the reproductions of portions of 
certain ancient Aztec historical charts. These have 
been the subjects of controversy for centuries past; 
many efforts have been made at their translation; 
but all such attempts have been ineffectual, and in 
many cases ludicrous. It required the publication of 
the Book of Mormon to turn on them- the light of 
divine truth, when their intent at once became 
apparent. Others, we trust, in time will be discovered 
which will be added testimonies to its genuineness 
and divine authenticity , as well as to the sacred mis- 
sion of the instrument in God's hands in bringing it 
forth — the youthful Prophet, Joseph Smith. 

Geo. Reynolds. 

December, 1888. 



CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

America the First Inhabited of all Lands. — Its Ancient Peoples. — The 
Garden of Eden. — The Antediluvians. — The Jaredites. — The Ne- 
phites and Lamanites 17 

CHAPTER I. 

Ancient Jerusalem. — Lehi. — His Vision. — His Call to Preach to the 
Jews. — They Persecute Him. — He is Commanded of God to take his 
Family into the Wilderness. — Their Departure. — The Return of his 
Sons to Jerusalem to obtain the Records. — They are Ill-treated by 
Laban. — His Death. — Zoram accompanies the Brothers into the 
Wilderness. . ... . . ■ . . . .20 

CHAPTER II. 

The Rejoicing Over the Records. — Nephi and his Brothers again Re- 
turn to Jerusalem. — They Conduct Ishmael and his Family into the 
Wilderness. — Lehi's Dream. — The Tree of Life. — The Rod of Iron. 
— The Boturini Manuscript. — Nephi's Vision. .... 30 

CHAPTER III. 

Marriages in the Company. — The Liahona. — The Journey Continued. — 
Nephi Breaks his Bow. — Death of Ishmael. — They Reach the 
Ocean. — Nephi Builds a Ship. — They cross the Great Waters and 



reach the Promised Land. ........ 42 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Promised Land. — Chili. — Its Natural Productions. — The Death of 
Lehi. — His Blessing on his Posterity. — Prophecies of his Ancestor 
Joseph 54 

CHAPTER V. 



The Nephites and Lamanites Separate. — The Nephites seek a New 
Home. — Nephi chosen King. — He builds a Temple. — Instructs his 
People in the Arts of Peace. — War with the Lamanites. — The 
Sword of Laban. — Nephi's Death. — Jacob, his brother, becomes 



the Chief Priest. — Jacob's Teachings on Marriage. . . -57 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Condition of the Lamanites. — Sherem, the First Anti-Christ. — His 

Recantation and Dreadful End. . . . . . .62 



vi 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Enos, the Son of Jacob. — The Nephites and Lamanites of his day. — 

His Testimony and Prophecies. 65 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Jarom. — Omni. — Amaron. — Chemish.— -Abinadom. — Amaleki. — Mosiah. 

— Review of Nephite History for four hundred years. ... 68 

CHAPTER IX. 

Causes that led to the migration from the land of Nephi. — The People 
of Zarahemla. — Mulek and his Colony. — The fusion of the two 
Nations. — Mosiah made King. — His happ}' Reign. ... 72 

CHAPTER X. 

The Reign of King Benjamin. — The Progress of his People. — His last 
great Speech. — He establishes the Church of Christ. — All the 
People Covenant with God. — Mosiah II. anointed King ... 79 

CHAPTER XL 

Zeniff Returns to the Land of Nephi. — His Treaty with the Lamanites. 
— The Prosperity of the People of Zeniff. — The Treaty Broken. — 
War. — Peace and Wars again. — The Death of Zeniff. — Noah's 
wicked Reign. — His Wars with the Lamanites. — The Prophet 
Abinadi. — His terrible Message of God's Wrath. — He is Martyred. 
— Alma. — He pleads for Abinadi. — Is cast out. — Flees to the Place 
of Mormon. . . . . . . ... . .86 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Waters of Mormon. — Alma, Helam and others Baptised therein. — 
The Church Organized. — The King Warned. — He sends Troops. — 
Alma and his People flee to the Land of Helam. — They build a 
City 95 

CHAPTER XIII. 

King Noah's Subjects Rebel. — Gideon. — The Lamanites Invade Lehi- 
Nephi. — The Nephites Retreat. — A Part Surrender. — The New 
Terms of Peace. — Noah is Burned to Death. — Limhi made King. — 
Noah's Priests Escape. — They Seize some Lamanite Maidens. — 
Another War. —The Nephites Victorious. — The King of the Laman- 
ites Wounded. — Mutual Explanations 98 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Bondage of the People of Limhi. — An Expedition North. — Finding 
of the Jaredjte Records.— The Arrival of Amnion. — The People of 
Limhi Escape. — The Pursuit.- The Amulonites.— The People of 
Alma— They are brought into Bondage— Their Deliverance. . 103 



CONTEXTS. 



vii 



CHAPTER XV. 

Mosiah's good Reign. — The Circumstances of his Advent. — He Assem- 
bles the People. — The Baptism of Limhi. — Churches organized 
throughout the Land. no 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Unbelief of the Youth of Zarahemla. — The Younger Alma and the 
Sons of Mosiah. — They Encourage the Persecutions against the 
Church. — They are Met by an Angel. — His Message. — Alma's 
awful Condition. — His Vision and Testimony. — The Changed Life 
of the Young Men. .......... 112 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Growth of the People in Zarahemla. — They Build many Cities. — 
Mosiah's Sons Desire to take a Mission to the Lamanites — Mosiah 
Inquires of the Lord. — The Divine Answer. . . . . . 119 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Mosiah's Sons Refuse the Kingdom. — He Grants the People a Constitu- 
tion. — The People to Elect their Rulers. — Alma, the Younger, 
First Chief Judge .121 

CHAPTER XIX. 

The Mission of the Sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites. — Their Journey 
in the Wilderness. — Ammon Brought before King Lamoni. — The 
Conflict at the . Waters of Sebus. — The Miraculous Conversion of 
Lamoni and his Family. — Abish the Waiting Woman. . . .123 

CHAPTER XX. 

Ammon and Lamoni start for the Land of Middoni. — They meet the 
old King. — His rage at seeing Ammon. — He Endeavors to kill his 
Son. — Aaron and his Brethren Liberated. — A Sketch of their labors 
and sufferings. — The Conversion of Lamoni's Father and his 
Household. . . ... . . . . . . 131 

CHAPTER XXI. 

The King issues a Proclamation. — The Results of the Labors of the 
sons of Mosiah. — The People of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. — They Bury their 
Weapons of War. — Are Massacred by the Thousand. — The}- Re- 
move to the Territory of the Nephites, who give them the Land of 
Jershon. . . 136 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Review of the Mission of the sons of Mosiah. — Its Importance and 
Great Length. — Its Results to both Races. — The Dates of its Lead- 
ing Occurrences. . . . . . . . . . .140 



t 

viii 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

The days of the Judges. — Their Names and Reigns. — The Heresy of 
Nehor. — He Slays Gideon and is Executed. — Amlici's Rebellion. — 
The Battle of Amnihu.— The Conflict at the Crossing of the Sidon. 
—A third Battle. . . . , . 143 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Alma Resigns the Chief Judgeship. — Nephihah Chosen. — Alma Minis- 
ters in Zarahemla, Gideon, Melek and Ammonihah. — Condition of 
the last named City. — It Rejects the Message Alma bears. — An An- 
gel meets Him. — Amulek. — The Lawyer Zeezrom. — The great Con- 
troversy. — Zeezrom Converted and cast out. — The Martyrdom of 
the Believers. — Alma and Amulek in Prison. — Their Deliverance. . 151 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Zeezrom Sick with Fever. — His Miraculous Recovery. — The Destruc- 
tion of Ammonihah. — The Invasion of the Land of Noah. — Zoram, 
the Nephite Commander, seeks the mind of the Lord. — It is Given; 
its Results. — The war Ended. — Alma's Ministrations. . . . 161 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Korihor, the Anti-Christ. — His False Teachings and Blasphemy. — He 
is taken before Alma. — Is Struck Dumb. — His Miserable End. — 
The Heresy rooted out 167 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Zoram and the Zoramites. — Their Peculiar Heresy. — The land of An- 
tionum. — The Rameumptom. — Alma's Mission to these People. — 
Those who Receive his Teachings Persecuted. — They flee to Jer- 
shon. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Another War.— Moroni the Leader of the Nephites. — The Tactics of the 
Lamanites. — Zerahemnah. — The Battle at Riplah. — Defeat of the 
Lamanites. ......... 



171 



177 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Alma's Charge to his Sons.— He Transfers the Records to Helaman. — 
He Leaves the World. — Zeezrom 's latter Days. — Helaman 's Min- 
istrations. . . . . . . , . , 181 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Amalickiah.—His Apostasy and Treason.— Moroni's Title of Liberty.— 
The Nephites Respond to his Call.— Lehonti.— He is Poisoned by 
Amalickiah. — The King of the Lamanites Treacherously Slain. — 
Amalickiah Marries the Queen and is Proclaimed King. — A Disas- 
trous Lamanite Raid. . . . 183 



CONTENTS. 



IX 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

A few years of Peace. — Teancum. — The Contention between Lehi and 
Morianton. — Amalickiah's terrible Invasion. — His Success. — He is 
stopped at Bountiful by Teancum. — Teancum slays Amalickiah. — 
Ammoron made King of the Lamanites. ..... 191 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Jacob the Zoramite. — His Characteristics. — The Strategy by which 
Mulek was Taken. — The fierce Battle between Jacob and the 
Nephite Forces. — Jacob's Death 195 . 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
The War in the Southwest. — Antipus. — Helaman and his Two Thou- 
sand Sons. — Their Valor and Faith. — The Repulse of the Laman- 
ites 201 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

The Relief of Manti. — The Overthrow of the Kingmen. — Pachus 
Slain. — The Struggle at Moroni. — Teancum slays Ammoron, but at 
the Cost of his own Life. — Teancum's Noble Character. . . 206 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Peace Once More. — The Results of the War. — The Labors of Helaman. 
— Shiblon Receives the Records. — Hagoth, the Ship-builder. — , 
Another War. — Moronihah. — Pahoran's Death. — Contention Re- 
garding the Chief Judgeship. — Paanchi's Rebellion. — The Gadian- 
ton Bands. — Assassination of Pahoran II. — Another Lamanite In- 
vasion. ............ 210 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Pacumeni Slain. — Helaman chosen Chief Judge. — The Conspiracy to 
slay Him. — Kishkumen Killed. — The Prosperity of the Nephites 
under Helaman. .......... 215 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

The Sons of Helaman. — Nephi's Righteous Rule. — The Lamanites 
again invade Zarahemla. — They drive the Nephites into the North- 
ern Continent. — The Ministrations of Nephi and Lehi. — The Man- 
ifestations of God's power in the City of Nephi. — Aminadab. — The 
Conversion of the Lamanites. — Universal Peace 218 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Growth of Evil among the Nephites. — The Increase of the Gadianton 
Robbers. — Nephi's Announcement of the Murder of the Chief 
Judge. — The Discovery. — Nephi Arrested. — He is proven Innocent. 
God's Covenant with him. — Increase of Iniquity. — A terrible 
Famine. — The welcome Rain. — The trend to Death. . . .225 



X 



CONTEXTS. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Samuel, the Lamanite. — His Mission and Prophecies. — The vain At- 
tempt to Destroy him. — He Returns to his own Country. 

CHAPTER XL. 

Xephi translated. — His son Nephi.— Time of the Savior's Coming. — 
The Conspiracy to slay the Believers. — The Revelation to Xephi. — 
The promised Signs Appear. — Increase of the Gadianton Robbers. 
— War. — Lachoneus Gathers all the People to one land. — The end 



CHAPTER XLL 

The last Chief Judge Murdered and the Republic Overthrown. — The 
signs of the Savior's Death appear. — A terrible Storm. — The 
Universal Darkness. — The unparalleled Destruction.— The Terror of 
those Hours. ... . ... . . . . . . 243 

CHAPTER XLII. 
The Voice from Heaven. — The Savior testifies of Himself. — Silence 
throughout the Land. — How oft would Christ have gathered His 
People. — The Darkness Departs 251 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

Christ Appears in the land Bountiful. — The Testimony of the Father. — 
Jesus calls Twelve Disciples. — His Teachings to them and to the- 

Multitude. 254 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

The Beatitudes. — Divers Instructions and Cautions on Forgiveness, 

Chastity, Charity, etc 258- 

CHAPTER XLV. 

On Alms-giving. — "After this manner Pray ye." — On Fasting, Integ- 
rity, Trust in God, etc 263. 

CHAPTER XLVL 

Judge Xot— The Beam and the Mote. — "Beware of False Prophets." — 

Good and Evil Fruit.— The House Built on the Rock. . . . 266 

CHAPTER XLVII. 

The Fulfilment of the Mosaic law. — "Other Sheep Have I."— The Ten 

Tribes— The Events of the Latter Days. 269 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 

The Savior heals the Sick.— He Blesses the Children of the Nephites. 

— Angels Minister unto them. .... 271 



CONTENTS. 



XI 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

The Sacrament Administered. — The Savior's teachings Regarding it. — 
He Confers on His Disciples the power to give the Holy Ghost. — 
He Ascends into Heaven. . . . ... . . . 278 

CHAPTER L. 

Jesus Returns and Renews His Teachings. — He Administers the Sacra- 
ment. — He Explains the Teachings of the Prophets. — The words 
of Malachi. . . . . . 281 

CHAPTER LI. 

The Savior continues His Ministrations. — He Raises a man from the 
Dead. — The Labors of the Twelve. — The Name of the Church. — 
The Three who should Remain. 286 

CHAPTER LIL 

The Long Continued Era of Peace and Righteousness. — Death of 



Nephi. — His son Amos. — Amos the Second. ..... 290 

CHAPTER LHI. 

The Commencement of the Apostasy. — It Grows in Intensity. — The 
Persecution of the Disciples. — Lamanites again. — Re-appearance of 
the Gadianton Bands. — War. — Ammaron Hides the Records. . 293 

CHAPTER LIV. 

The Last long Series of Wars. — Mormon. — The final Conflict at Cumo- 

rah. — The Last of the Nephites. . 298 

CHAPTER LV. 

The Historians of the Nephites. — The Plates of Nephi. — List of their 

Custodians. — Their Lengthened Years. ...... 302 

CHAPTER LVI. 

The Women of the Book of Mormon. — Their Condition and Position. — 

Abish. — Isabel. — Marriage. — Amulek. 307 

CHAPTER LVII. 
Domestic Life among the Nephites. — Household duties. — Dress. — Orna- 
ments. — Homes. — Food. — Manufactures. — Transportation. . .313 

CHAPTER LVHI. 
Agriculture among the Nephites. — Grains. — Stock Raising. — Irrigation. 320 

CHAPTER LIX. 

Science and Literature among the Nephites. — Their Astronomy and 

Geography. — The Learning of Eygpt. ...... 324 

CHAPTER LX. 

The Art of War among the Nephites. — Their Weapons, Armor and For- 
tifications. — Moroni's Line of Defense 330 



xii 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER LXX 

The Laws of the Nephites. — The Roman and Nephite Civilizations. — 
The Laws under the Kings. — Position of the Priesthood. — Slavery. 
— Criminal Offenses. . . 338 

CHAPTER LXII. 

The Laws under the Judges. — The Voice of the People. — Elections. — 
Rights of the People. — Church and State. — The Criminal Proced- 
ure * . . "347 

CHAPTER LXIII. 

Laws of the Nephites, continued. — The Division into Tribes. — The Mes- 
sianic Dispensation. — The final Convulsion 356 

CHAPTER LXIV. 

The Money of the Nephites. — Their Coins. — Barley the Standard of 

Value 360 

CHAPTER LXV. 

Personal Appearance of the Nephites. — Their Beauty. — Testimony of 

Remains found. — The Dark-skinned Lamanites 364 

CHAPTER LXVI. 

Language of the Nephites. — The Influence of the Egyptian. — Nephite 
Words.— Rameumptom. — Liahona. — Rabbanah. — The Lamanite 
Tongue. — Word Building. 368 

CHAPTER LXVII. 

Nephite Proper Names. — Bible Names. — Sariah. — Nephi. — Sam. — 

Melek. — Gershon. — Isabel. — Aha, etc. — Prefixes and Suffixes. ■ 376 

CHAPTER LXVIII. 

The Lands of the Nephites. — Mulek and Lehi. — Zarahemla and Nephi. — 
The Wilderness. — The Land of First Inheritance. — The Journeys 
Northward. — The Waters of Mormon. — Lehi-Nephi. . . . . 382 

CHAPTER LXIX. 

Nephi in the hands of the Lamanites. — The lands of Shemlon, Shilom, 

Helam, Amnion, Ishmael, Middoni, Jerusalem, etc. . . . 395 

CHAPTER LXX. 

The Lands of the Nephites, continued. — Zarahemla. — Jershon.— An- 

tionutn. — Manti. — Gideon. ........ 399 

CHAPTER LXXI. 

Lands of the Nephites, continued. Minon. Melek. — Ammonihah. — Noah. 
Sidom. Anion. Lehi. Mulek. — Bountiful. — The Southwest Bor- 
der. ............. 404 



CONTENTS. 



xiii 



CHAPTER LXXII. 

The Landsof Antum, Teancum, Joshua, David, etc. — Cumorah. — The Hills 

of the Nephites. —The River Sidon. . . . . . . .411 

CHAPTER LXXIII. 

Religion of the Nephites. — It is Stated by Nephi. — The Priesthood and 
Ordinances thereof. — Baptism. — Confirmation . — Ordination. — The 
Sacrament. — Spiritual Gifts. .417 

CHAPTER LXXIV. 

Miracles Among the Nephites. — The Miracles of Christ. — John and the 

Three Nephites — Translations 425 

CHAPTER LXXV. 

The Prophecies Regarding the Savior. — Their Completeness and Detail. — 

Names and Titles given to Christ 430 

CHAPTER IyXXVI. 

Nephite Apostates. — The Order of Nehor. — Amalekites. — Amalickiahites. 

— Amulonites. — Abinadi's Prophecy. — The Gadiantons. . . . 435 

CHAPTER LXXVII. 

Church Discipline among the Nephites. — Treatment of the Unrepentant. — 
The Word of the Lord Regarding Transgressors. — The Testimony of 
Moroni. - . 442 

CHAPTER LXXVIIL 

The Discovery of the Jaredite Record. — Coriantumr. — Ether. — The Disper- 
sion at Babel. — The Journey of the Jaredites. — Atlantis. . . . 446 

CHAPTER LXXIX. 

Moriancumr. — Building the Barges.— The Finger of the Lord.— The Ap- 
pearing of the Savior. — The Voyage 452 

CHAPTER LXXX. 

The Land of Promise. — A Monarchy Established. — The Kings of the 

Jaredites from Orihah to Omer. — Akish.— The Daughter of Jared. . 457 

CHAPTER LXXXI. 

The Kings of the Jaredites from Omer to Coriantumr. — The Material 



Prosperity of the Race. . . . . 460 

CHAPTER LXXXII. 

The Judgments of God on the Jaredites. — The Extinction of the Pace - 

The hill Ramah. — Shiz and Coriantumr. — Ether. .... 463 

BOOK OF MORMON CHRONOLOGY. 472 

APPENDIX 488 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 




Appearance of Christ to the Nephites, 


Armitage, 


PAGE. 

Frontispiece 


Ancient Jerusalem, 


• 


21 


Ancient Aztec Map, (Part i.) 


Boturini, 


25 


Wilderness near the Red Sea, 


- 


32 


Ancient Aztec Map, (Part 2.) 


Boturini, 


37 


Vision of Nephi, 


. Held, 


39 


Ancient Aztec Map, (Part 3.) 


Boturini, 


44 


Ancient Aztec Map, (Part 4.) 


Botiwini, 


45 


Ancient Hieroglyphic Chart, 


Farreri, 


5 1 


First Sacrifice on the Promised Land, 


Ottinger, 


53 


Joseph sold by his Brethren, 




56 


The Country of the Nephites, 




59 


The Jews led away to Captivity, 




75 


Babylon, ..... 




76 


Nazareth, . . . . • . 




84 


The Land of Helam, 




97 


Discovery of the Records of the Jaredites, 






Ottinger, 


105 


Baptism of Limhi, 


Ottinger, 




The Wilderness, .... 




124 


The Wilderness of Hermounts, 




150 


The Martyrdoms at Ammonihah, 


Held, 


1 57 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XV 

PAGE. 

The Deliverance of Alma and Amulek, Held, 161 

Moroni Raises the " Title of Liberty," Ottinger, 185 

Teancnm Slays Ainalickiah, . . Morris, 195 

The New Star, . . . . . . 238 

Bethlehem, ....... 239 

The River Jordan, ..... 245 

The Crucifixion, ...... 247 

Destruction of Zarahemla, . . Ottinger, 249 

The House on the Rock and on the Sand, . 268 

Shepherd and his Flocks, . . . 271 

The Three Nephites and wild Beasts, . Held, 293 

The Mothers of the Nephites, . . . 313 

South American Fruits, . . . . 320 

Ancient Egyptian Characters, . . . 370 

Copy of Characters on the Plates, . . 371 

Christ before Pilate, . . . Munkacsy, 431 

The Original Home of the Jaredites, . . 446 

The Tower of Babel, ..... 447 

Appearance of Christ to the Brother of Jared, 

Held, 455 

Prophets Preaching to the Jaredites, . Held, 463 

Ether Finishing his Record, . . Morris ^ 467 



THE 



5tory of t\)9i Boo\ of /T\or/T\OQ. 

INTRODUCTION. 

AMERICA THE FIRST INHABITED OF ALL LANDS — ITS ANCIENT 
PEOPLES — THE GARDEN OF EDEN — THE ANTEDILUVI- 
ANS—THE JAREDITES — THE NEPHITES AND LAMANITES. 

^jpHE story that we are about to relate is a true one. 

It is the history of the races who lived on this 
broad land of ours long, long ago. From it we shall 
learn many lessons of God's great love for man. We 
shall also learn how often his love has been spurned, 
how apt his favored children have been to walk in ways 
of sin, and how prone to disobey his holy law. It 
is a story full of light and shade, one which it will be 
well for all of us to take to heart, for by so doing our 
faith in God will increase, and we shall be prompted to 
strive the more earnestly to avoid the evils that others 
by their misdeeds have brought upon themselves and 
their posterity. 



1 8 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

America, the land we love, is, in our Heavenly 
Father's eyes, choice above all other lands as the home 
of his sons and daughters, whom he has placed upon 
this earth. For all God's creatures are not here. He 
has made many worlds and filled them with his chil- 
dren. How many we know not ; they are countless to 
us. The stars, that shine in myriads in the heavens, 
are nearly all suns like the one that gives us light; the 
remaining few are worlds like unto this on which we 
dwell; and ours is one of the very smallest of them 
all. To the works of God there is no beginning, 
neither is there any end. 

God made America the richest of all lands. 
He filled its depths with precious minerals ; he 
caused the most lovely trees, and herbs, and flowers to 
grow upon its surface. In all things he made it most 
desirable as a home for man. And here he planted 
the Garden of Eden, and placed our first parents 
— Adam and Eve — therein. From that garden they 
were afterwards driven forth when they failed to keep 
God's law. But they did not leave this continent. 
Here they still remained ; here their sons and daugh- 
ters were born, until many strong people had sprung 
from them. It was in this land that Cain slew his 
brother Abel ; it was here that Enoch and his city 
dwelt, that Noah preached to the ungodly, and the 
ark was built. But when the flood was over and the 
w.aters sank, that ark, by the winds and waves, had 
been carried far away to a new land, until it rested on 
Mount Ararat. Then for a short time America was 
without inhabitant. 

But not long after the deluge the wicked tried 
to build a tower that would reach so high that if ever 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 19 

another flood came they might escape the rising 
waters by ascending it. This is called the Tower of 
Babel. The Lord was angry with those who at- 
tempted to bnild this tower, for he had promised that 
he wonld never again destroy the earth with the wa- 
ters of a flood. Bnt they did not believe him ; and in 
their unbelief they went to work to construct it. In 
his anger he confonnded their langnage, that they 
conld not understand each other. Then he scattered 
them abroad upon the face of the earth. Some few, 
better than the others, he brought to America. Here 
he made them a great nation ; and they filled the land 
for many hundreds of years. By and by they grew 
exceedingly wicked and gathered together in vast ar- 
mies to war with one another. And they fought so ter- 
ribly that at last they were all destroyed, — all except 
one man. These people were called the Jaredites. 

By this we see that this continent was a second 
time left without inhabitants, because of the great 
wickedness of the people. 

After this the Lord brought another people to 
fill this land. They were a branch of the house of 
Israel, and we call them the Nephites and Lamanites. 
They also grew great, prospered, flourished, and fell. 
Like the Jaredites, at the last, they destroyed each 
other in war, and there were but few left. But from 
those few have come the many tribes of Indians that 
to-day are found scattered far and wide over both 
North and South America, and on some of the outly- 
ing islands of the sea. 

Thus fell a third race who would not serve God ; 
for he had decreed that the wicked should not in- 
herit this land. To one of his ancient servants he 



20 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



declared, u If iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the 
land for their sakes ; but unto the righteous it shall be 
blessed for ever." (n Nephi i. 7.) 

North America was the first of all lands to be 
inhabited ; it was here that Adam and Eve dwelt. 
The Jaredifes from the Tower of Babel also first 
landed here. But the Nephites made their earliest 
settlements on the western shores of the southern 
continent, where by degrees they spread north and 
south, then east and west, until their cities and vil- 
lages could be seen in every part of the land. 



ANCIENT JERUSALEM — LEHI — HIS VISION — HIS CALL TO 
PREACH TO THE JEWS — THEY PERSECUTE HIM — HE IS 
COMMANDED OF GOD TO TAKE HIS FAMILY INTO THE 
WILDERNESS— THEIR DEPARTURE— THE RETURN OF HIS 
SONS TO JERUSALEM TO OBTAIN THE RECORDS — THEY 
ARE ILL TREATED BY LABAN — HIS DEATH — ZORAM AC- 
COMPANIES THE BROTHERS INTO THE WILDERNESS. 

/^UR story opens in the royal city of Jerusalem, in 



the first year of the reign of King Zedekiah, or ex- 
actly six hundred years before the birth of pur Savior. 
It was then very grand and very beautiful, the capital 
of the Kingdom of Judah, and the chief city of all 
Israel. In name it was holy, for the Temple of the 
Lord was there. Its busy streets were crowded with a 
mixed multitude. Priests and Levites who officiated 
in the ordinances of the law of Moses, worshipers 
from the other tribes of Jacob, warriors of the armies 



CHAPTER I. 




22 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of Judah, courtiers and attendants on the king, mer- 
chants from Egypt, from Tyre and Sidon and from 
manv other parts, artificers in various trades, all these 
combined to make it wealthy and renowned, a busy 
mart of trade, a centre of civilization, and a sacred 
city. 

Holy it should have been, but the glory of the 
Lord had departed from his house. Its people had be- 
come very wicked. They were filled with pride and 
greed ; they heeded not the law of the Lord ; their 
affections were set upon the things of this world ; 
the}' served God with their lips only, while their 
hearts were far from him. He had sent unto them 
his prophets, but one after another they had rejected 
these holy men ; many they had persecuted, and some 
they had slain. 

In this city, at that time, dwelt a worthy man 
named Lehi. He was of the tribe of Manasseh, but 
had made his home in Jerusalem all his days, though 
it was a city of the Kingdom of Judah. He was a 
man who had been prospered of the Lord and had 
gathered around him considerable wealth. His wife's 
name was Sari ah, and they had four sons and some 
daughters. The names of the sons, in the order of 
their ages, were Lanian, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi ; the 
number or names of the daughters are nowhere given 
in the sacred history. 

To this good man the word of the Lord came. 
God raised him up to be a prophet. He sent him 
with a message to the people of Jerusalem. As a serv- 
ant of the Lord he had to warn them of many evils 
that would come upon them if they did not cease from 
their wicked ways. But they paid no heed to his 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



23 



words ; they refused to listen to his warning. Indeed, 
they became very angry because he told them of their 
sins, and before long they sought to kill him. 

God gave to Lehi many dreams and visions. One 
da}' a pillar of fire came and rested on a rock before 
him ; and then he heard and saw man}' wonderful 
things. The things which he had seen and heard so 
overpowered him that he went home to his house at 
Jerusalem, and threw himself on his bed. Then be- 
ing overcome by the Holy Spirit he was carried away 
in a vision. In that vision he saw God sitting upon 
his throne, surrounded by vast hosts of angels who 
were singing and praising the Lord. And he saw a 
holy Being, surrounded by a glory as bright as the sun 
at noon clay, come down out of the midst of heaven. 
It was the Lord Jesus. Our Savior was followed by 
twelve others whose brightness exceeded that of the 
stars. They were Christ's Apostles. These came down 
and went forth on the face of the earth. 

And in the vision the Savior came to Lehi and 
gave him a book, and bade him read it. In that book 
was an account of events that had not yet taken place. 
It was full of the woes that should happen to Jerusa- 
lem and her people, if they repented not of their sins and 
follies. It told how that great city should be taken by 
her enemies and destroyed ; how numbers of the inhab- 
itants should perish, while many should be carried cap- 
tive into Babylon. All of which was fulfilled a few 
years later. These things with others were what Lehi 
told the Jews ; and as they did not believe his words 
they became enraged at him and ill treated him. How 
gracious was our heavenly Father to shew such 
great things to Lehi, and to reveal to him so much 



24 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



with reeard to the earthly life of our Lord and Savior, 
whose coining in the flesh was yet six hundred years in 
the future. 

Before long the Lord was satisfied with what Lehi 
had said and done. He told him, in a dream, that as 
the Jews had rejected his message and sought his life, 
to leave them to the destruction that would surely 
come upon them. God then directed him to leave Je- 
rusalem and take his family and journey into the wil- 
derness. This Lehi did. He left behind him his gold 
and other precious things, and only carried with him 
what was needful for the use of his family during their 

J o 

travels. Like Abraham before him, he went not know- 
ing whither he was going, but went because God had 
commanded him ; and, like Abraham, he was led by Di- 
vine power to a blessed land of promise. 

When Lehi and his family left Jerusalem they 
traveled southward to the borders of the Red Sea. 
When they reached there the}' pitched their tents and 
rested for a season in a valley near a river which 
emptied into the sea. In this valley Lehi built an 
altar, and upon it he offered a sacrifice to the Lord, 
and gave thanks unto him for his great goodness 
in bringing them out of the doomed chief city of 
Judah. 

It was while Lehi's little company were camped 
in this valley, to which he gave the name of the Valley 
of Lemuel, that the dispositions of the four young men 
began to shew themselves. Laman and Lemuel here 
commenced to grumble, to complain and to rebel; while 
Xephi was obedient in all things to the word of God 
and the wishes of his father. He sought the Holy 
One in earnest prayer in his own behalf and in that 



26 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of his brothers, and the Lord made him many precions 
promises, all of which were, in due time, fulfilled. 

While encamped in this valley the Lord, in a 
dream, commanded Lehi to send his sons back to Je- 
rusalem to obtain certain plates on which was en- 
graven a record of the Jews. They also contained a 
genealogy or list of Lehi's forefathers. These plates 
were kept by a rich man named Laban, who held 
them because, like Lehi, he was a descendant of that 
Joseph who was sold into Egypt. 

When Lehi's elder sons heard this they mur- 
mured. They did not want to go back to the city. 
They said it was a hard thing to do, and they claimed 
to be afraid of Laban. But Nephi neither feared nor 
murmured, for he was a man of much faith. On this 
occasion he said to his father, I will go and do the 
things which God has commanded, for I know that 
the Lord gives no commandment to the children of 
men, save he prepares a way that they may do the 
thing that he requires of them. When Lehi saw how 
strong was his son's faith he greatly rejoiced, for he 
perceived that Nephi had been much blessed of the 
Lord. 

At last all the sons consented to return and get 
the plates. They took their tents with them, traveled 
as they came, and in a few days reached Jerusalem. 
When they arrived they cast lots to decide which of 
them should first visit Laban. The lot fell upon Laman. 
As he had no faith in his mission, we can readily 
understand that he failed to get the records. He went 
to Laban's house, which was a very fine one, and 
talked with him on the matter. But Laban grew angry, 
would not let him have the plates, called him a robber. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



27 



and drove him out of the house. When Laman re- 
turned to his brothers they were very sad at hearing 
how violently Laban had adted. All but Nephi wished 
to return to their father in the wilderness ; but he 
would not consent. He had come up to Jerusalem to 
do what God had commanded, and he was not going 
back until he had done it. He said to his brothers, 
u As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down 
unto our father in the wilderness, until we have accom- 
plished the thing which the Lord has commanded us." 
Brave words from a heart of faith, and they accom- 
plished their purpose. 

Nephi next proposed that they should go to their 
father's house and collecl: some of the gold, silver and 
other precious things which he had left behind, take 
them to Laban and offer them to him in exchange for 
the records. 

They did all this ; still Laban would not let them 
have the plates. But when he saw how great was the 
value of the property which they offered him, he de- 
sired very much to get it ; for he was a wicked man, filled 
with greed and covetousness. So he thrust the brothers 
out of his house and kept their property. Not con- 
tent with this he sent his servants after them to slay 
them. But the servants did not overtake them, for 
Nephi and his brothers ran very swiftly and hid them- 
selves in a cave in the wilderness outside of the walls 
of the city. 

Laman and Lemuel were now furious at their lack 
of success. In their anger the}- spoke many hard words 
to Sam and Nephi, and moreover they beat them with 
a rod. While thus engaged an angel of the Lord stood 
before them and rebuked them for their cruel treatment 



28 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of their younger brothers. He further told them to go 
up to Jerusalem once again, and Laban should be de- 
livered into their hands. 

Even though an angel from heaven had appeared 
to them, Laman and Lemuel still murmured and did 
not want to go back to the house of Laban. But after 
some persuasion from Nephi they reluctantly followed 
him. His faith had made him their leader, which po- 
sition he ever afterwards held. 

Nephi caused his brethren to hide themselves with- 
out the walls, and then went forward alone, not knowing 
exactly where he was going, but suffering himself to be 
guided by the Spirit of the Lord. It was now night. 
When near the house of Laban he came across a man 
tying in a drunken stupor on the ground. It proved 
to be Laban himself. 

The Spirit of the Lord now directed Nephi to slay 
Laban, telling him that it was better that one man 
should die than that a nation should dwindle and perish 
in unbelief. This the Nephites undoubtedly would have 
done had they not had the law of the Lord with them ; 
and this law was engraved on these plates. As we pro- 
ceed we shall find that both the Lamanites and the peo- 
ple of Zarahemla sank in sin and dwindled in unbelief 
from this very cause, that they had no Divine records. 

For all that the Spirit thus prompted, still Nephi 
felt loath to slay Laban, although he had robbed him 
and his brothers of their father's property and sought to 
take away their lives. But at last he obeyed the voice 
of the Spirit, and drawing Laban 's own sword from its 
sheath with it he smote off this wicked man's head. 

Nephi next removed Laban's armor from the dead 
body and put it on his own person; he also took the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 29 

sword of Laban and girded it around his waist. Then 
he went to the dead man's house, and, imitating 
Laban's voice, he commanded the servant who had the 
keys of the room where the records were kept to go with 
him and get them. The servant, whose name was Zoram, 
obeyed, and brought forth the records, for he thought 
it was his master who was talking to him. 

Nephi, still adling as though he was Laban, had 
Zoram go with him to where his brothers were hid. 
When Laman, Lemuel and Sam saw him coining they 
became greatly afraid, for they did not know him, dressed 
as he was, in the armor of Laban ; and he had some little 
difficulty in making them understand that he was their 
brother, and that they had no cause for fear. But 
when Zoram discovered that Nephi was not his master, 
he also was seized with fear, and would have run away 
had not Nephi held him. We may be sure Nephi. did 
not want Zoram to return to Jerusalem, lest he should 
gather a body of men and follow him and his brothers 
into the wilderness and slay them. So he spake kind 
and encouraging words to Zoram, who very soon con- 
sented to make a covenant of friendship with Nephi and 
go with him to the place where Lehi had pitched his 
tents. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE REJOICING OVER THE RECORDS — NEPHI AND HIS 
BROTHERS AGAIN RETURN TO JERUSALEM — THEY CON- 
DUCT ISHMAEU AND HIS FAMILY INTO THE WILDER- 
NESS — LEHLS DREAM — THE TREE OF LIFE — THE ROD 
OF IRON — THE BOTURINI MANUSCRIPT — NEPHUS VISION. 

"VI THEN Nephi and his companions reached their 



father's tent in the wilderness their parents were 
exceedingly glad. Sariah had rnonrned during their 
absence because she fancied her sons would never re- 
turn alive ; and with those feelings she had upbraided 
her husband for sending them away. She charged 
him with being a visionary man, who was always giv- 
ing heed to dreams in which she had little faith. All 
this was changed when her boys got back ; then she 
was willing to acknowledge the inspiration of Heaven 
in her husband's visions. 

The first thing Lehi did when his sons arrived 
was to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, as a token of his 
gratitude for their safe return. Next he examined the 
records, and rejoiced much to find that they contained 
the five books of Moses, and a history of the Jews to 
the commencement of the reign of King Zedekiah. 
These plates also contained many of the prophecies of 
the holy prophets, and a genealogy of Lehi's fathers. 
We may be well assured how grateful Lehi felt to the 
Lord for placing these sacred records in his hands, so 
that his people could have the Law of the Lord and 
the history of their ancestors always in their posses- 
sion. It is a great thing to any people to possess the 
annals of their forefathers. This is particularly true 
of those who, like Lehi's family, are separated from 
the rest of the world. It tends to keep them from 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 3 1 

sinking into idolatry, and from corrnpting the laws of 
heaven ; it preserves the pnrity of their language, and 
connects them with those from whom they have sprung, 
in that they retain a knowledge of their nationality, 
which is a great stay and help to any race that is 
building up a new civilization. 

But the four young men had to return once again 
to Jerusalem. God intended to make of Lehi's pos- 
terity a great nation. This could scarcely be done 
unless his sons married. But they had no young 
maidens with them in the wilderness who would do for 
wives. So the Lord told Lehi to send his sons to a 
man named Ishmael, of the tribe of Ephraim, who 
dwelt in Jerusalem, and desire him and his family 
to j oin .them on their journey. The reason why God 
sent them to Ishmael was that he was a good man and 
had a number of daughters. When Lehi's sons de- 
livered their message the Lord softened Ishmael 's 
heart and he consented to go with them ; and soon he 
and his family Avere on the way to the valley by the 
Red Sea where Lehi was encamped. 

As they journeyed, however, they had the usual 
trouble. Laman and Lemuel had another fit of rebel- 
iousness. They induced some of the family of Ish- 
mael to join them, and for a time there was great di- 
vision in the little company. Nephi, inspired with the 
Spirit of the Lord, rebuked them for their folly. This 
so angered them that they bound him with cords, in- 
tending in their cruelty to leave him to perish in the 
wilderness, or to be devoured by wild beasts. But 
Nephi prayed in great faith to the Lord to give him 
strength to burst the bands which held him. The Lord 
answered his prayer and the cords were loosened from 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 33 

II • 

his hands and feet. Being now free he again reproved 
his brethren, which renewed their anger. Once more 
they sought to take his life, bnt Ishmael's wife and 
' one of her sons and a daughter so earnestly plead for 
him that the hearts of the rebels were softened and 
they ceased their efforts to slay him. By and by, 
when their anger had cooled down, they felt very sorry 
for their great wickedness in trying to kill their 
brother. Then they humbled themselves before him 
and sought his forgiveness, which he, in the goodness 
of his heart, at once most gladly granted them. 

When the company reached the tents of Lehi, 
after the usual custom they offered burnt offerings and 
sacrifices to the Lord. 

While Lehi dwelt in the Valley of Lemuel he had 
another remarkable dream. It was like unto this: 
He dreamed that a man stood before him and bade him 
follow him. This Lehi did. Then they traveled for 
many hours through a dark and dreary waste. When 
they had thus journeyed for so long a time Lehi be- 
gan to pray to the Lord to have mercy on him. After 
he had prayed he beheld a large and spacious field. 
In it grew a tree whose fruit was very desirable to 
make one happy. Lehi partook of this fruit. He 
found it whiter and sweeter than any fruit he had ever 
before seen or tasted. When he had eaten his heart 
was filled with great joy, and he was very anxious 
that his family should partake of it also. So he looked 
round in the hope of seeing some of them, and in do- 
ing so his eyes fell upon a river. Its waters were 
filthy, and it ran along near the tree upon which the 
sweet fruit grew. Not far off was the fountain from 
whence the river sprang ; and near by he saw his wife, 

3 



34 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Sariah, and his sons, Sam and Nephi. They stood 
there hesitating, as. if they knew not where to go. 
Lehi thereupon beckoned, and called them to come to 
him and taste of the fruit. Then the}^ all three came 
and partook of it. 

Lehi now felt desirous that his two elder sons, La- 
man and Lemuel, should also partake ; but when he 
called them, they would not come. 

Lehi also saw a rod of iron. It extended along the 
bank of the river and led to the tree by which he stood. 
And there was a straight and narrow path which ran 
along by the rod of iron to the tree. This path led 
into a broad field, so spacious that it might have been 
a world. He then saw vast numbers of people, many 
of whom were pressing forward to get to the path which 
led to the tree. Then it seemed that as soon as these 
people began to walk in the path there arose a great 
mist of darkness, that many missed their way, wandered 
off, and were lost. Others, by taking hold of the rod 
of iron, and clinging thereto, kept in the narrow path, 
reached the tree and partook of its precious fruit. 

Some of those who tasted the fruit soon appeared 
to grow ashamed ; and Lehi, casting his eyes across the 
river, beheld on the other side a very large and fine build- 
ing, which stood as if it were in the air, high above the 
earth. 

This building was filled with men and women of 
all ages, whose style of dress was very rich and grand. 
These people were mocking and ridiculing those who 
ate of the fruit of the tree. Because of this taunting 
and derision some felt ashamed, and they fell away 
into forbidden paths and were lost. Lehi also saw 
other multitudes groping their way towards the spacious 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



35 



building; and some were drowned in the fountain of 
filthy water, and others were lost to sight wandering in 
strange roads. 

The interpretation of Lehi's dream is this: The tree 
which bore the precious fruit, of which Lehi, Sariah, 
Sam and Nephi ate, was the tree of life. The rod of 
iron which led thereunto represented the word of God; 
and whoso will harken unto the word of God, and will 
cleave unto it, will never perish, but partake of the fruit 
of the tree of life. The river of filthy water shewed the 
awful gulf which separates the wicked from the tree of 
life and from the saints of God. The vast and costly 
building represented the wicked world, with those who 
belong thereto. 

Lehi further saw that Laman and Lemuel ate not 
of the fruit of the tree, and it gave him much sorrow. 

We present a copy of a portion of an ancient 
Aztec map or chart, the original of which is about 
twenty feet in length, found in Mexico more than a 
hundred years ago by an Italian gentleman named 
Boturini.* On a previous page we have inserted a 
copy of the first part of this picture map or panorama, 
which seems to shew the departure of Lehi from 
Jerusalem, his crossing some waters, his journey 

* Of Boturini, Humboldt observes: "This Milanese traveler had 
crossed the seas with no other view than to study on the spot the history of 
the native tribes of America ; but in traversing the country to examine its 
monuments, and make researches into its antiquities, he had the misfortune 
to fall under the suspicion of the Spanish government. After having been 
deprived of the fruit of his labors, he was sent in 1736 as a state prisoner to 
Madrid. The king of Spain declared him innocent, but this did not restore 
to him his property ; and this collection * * lay buried in the archives of 
the University of Mexico ; those valuable relics of the culture of the Aztecs 
were preserved with so little care that there scarcely exists at present an 
eighth part of the hieroglyphic records taken from the Italian traveler." 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 37 

j 

ill the desert, and the names of his family. In 
the second part we consider is yet more clearly shewn 
Lehi's dream. We can plainly see the tree of life, with 
Lehi near by, the rod of iron that led thereto, Sariah, 
Sam and Nephi partaking of the fruit; while Laman 
and Lemuel are not touching it. Then the journey is 
continued, and we see them all weeping over one man. 
This we think represents the death of Ishmael, of 
which we shall speak hereafter. Above again appear 
the names of the family.* 

* The priests of the Roman Catholic Church who visited Mexico at 
the time of and soon after the Spanish conquest were struck with the great 
resemblance of so large a number of the customs of the Mexican people to 
those of the ancient Israelites. To account for these resemblances they in- 
vented the theory that the devil had imitated the L,ord when he delivered the 
Hebrews from their bondage in Bgypt, by bringing the forefathers of the 
American races from their original home to this continent with many signs 
and wonders. Further, that Satan had revealed to these people a spurious 
or bastard gospel, as near to the true one as was possible, in order to lead 
their souls to eternal perdition. Based on this theory, — that the devil was 
the real god of the Indians, Torquemeda, in his "Indian Monarchy," and 
others, give the following as the translation of the opening portions of this 
chart : 

"Although they were all of the same race and lineage, still they did 
not all compose a single family, but were divided into four tribes. * * The 
Azticas, therefore, quitted their country under the guidance of Zacpaltziu 
and Huitzon, in the first of the first circle ; for they commenced the compu- 
tation of their years from that period ; and proceeded some stages 011 their 
journey, in which they employed the space of a year, at the end of which 
they arrived at a place called Hueycolhuacan, where they remained three 
years. In this place (they say) the devil appeared to them in the form of an 
idol, declaring to them that it was he who brought them out of the land of 
Aztlan, and that he would accompany them, being their God, to favor them 
in every thing. * * This being the beginning of the devil's proceedings among 
this, people, they marched from one place to another, where there was a 
large and thick tree where he caused them to stop, at the trunk of which 
they made a small altar, upon which they placed an idol, for so the devil 
commanded, and they sat down under its shade to eat, but whilst eating, a 
loud sound proceeded from the tree, and it rent in the middle. The Azticas, 
terrified at this sudden accident, considered it a bad omen, and surrendering 
themselves up to affliction, terminated the repast." 



38 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Nephi was very desirous to have the same dreams 
as his father ; and he prayed earnestly to the Lord that 
this favor might be granted him. God answered his 
prayers, and shewed him many of the greatest events 
that would take place in the future history of the 
world. 

For behold while Nephi was pondering these 
things in his heart he was caught away in the Spirit 
of the Lord, into an exceedingly high mountain, which 
he had never before seen, and on which he had never 
before set his foot. And the Spirit, which was in the 
form of a man, shewed him the things which he de- 
sired. When the Spirit left him he was shewn Jeru- 
salem and other cities, and especially Xazareth, and 
therein a virgin exceedingly white and fair. While 
gazing upon this scene, he beheld the heavens open, 
and an angel came down and stood before him, who 
explained to him the various scenes that were brought 
before his vision. 

The virgin that Nephi saw was named A Iary ; she 
was the mother of Jesus. And the angel next shewed 
him the virgin with the babe in her arms. The 
angel also shewed him the Savior; how he should be 
baptized of John in the Jordan ; how he went forth 
among the people preaching the gospel and doing mar- 
velous works, and how that he was taken and cruci- 
fied, and thus died for the sins of the world. Nephi 
further saw how the world fought against the disciples 
of Christ, and how, in the end, all those who contended 
against Heaven and against God's servants were de- 
stroyed. 

Furthermore he was shewn the land of America 
filled with a numerous people, who were the seed of 




VISION OF XEPHI 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. jl 

I ' ' 

his father. He also saw the terrible earthquakes and 
storms that took place on this land at the time of the 
crucifixion of the Redeemer. 

He saw the Savior visit this land, and how he chose 
twelve disciples here and established his holy church. 
He saw the reign of profound peace that continued for 
three generations, and also the time of terrible wick- 
edness that followed this blessed era. And there were 
shewn to him the final wars in which the Nephite na- 
tion was destroyed. 

Nor was this all. Like a vast panorama, the 
kingdoms and nations of the Gentiles were presented 
to his view. He saw a man inspired by the Spirit of 
God cross the great waters which separated the Gen- 
tiles from the land on which the remnants of his 
father's seed dwelt, and that he was followed by nu- 
merous hosts of others who came out from the nations 
and occupied the land. He saw how the remnants of 
the seed of his father, the Indians, were abused, robbed 
and massacred by the Gentiles. Then the war of the 
revolution was shewn to him, the triumph of the 
colonies, and the growth of the people of this land in 
power and riches. 

And again he saw the rise of a great and abom- 
inable church which exercised power and dominion 
over man}' peoples. It was the great apostate Chris- 
tian Church which held sway after the true gos- 
pel ceased to exist on the earth by reason of the wick- 
edness of mankind. Nephi also saw the coming forth 
of the Book of Mormon, the establishment of the 
great Latter-day work, the preaching of the gospel to 
Gentile and Jew, and the final triumph of God's cause. 
Indeed he saw to the end of the world and thereafter ; 



42 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



but much that he had revealed to him he was told not 
to write, as the Apostle John would have the same 
things shewn to him in a later day, and John would 
be instructed of the Lord to write the things which he 
heard and saw. 



MARRIAGES IN THE COMPANY— THE LIAHONA — THE JOURNEY 
CONTINUED — NEPHI BREAKS HIS BOW — DEATH OF ISH- 
MAEL — THEY REACH THE OCEAN — NEPHI BUILDS A 
SHIP— THEY CROSS THE GREAT WATERS AND REACH 
THE PROMISED LAND. 

"TT7HILE the two families dwelt in the Valley of 



Lemuel they had a number of marriages. Zo- 
ram, Laban's servant, married Ishmael's eldest daugh- 
ter, and each of Lehi's four sons married one of her 
sisters. We are not told whether Lehi's daughters 
were married at this time or not. 

Soon after these marriages the voice of the Lord 
spake unto Lehi by night and commanded him that on 
the morrow he should resume his journey. When 
Lehi arose the next morning and went to the door of 
his tent he saw a strange object lying on the ground 
before him. It was a brass ball of very fine workman- 
ship. Within this ball were two spindles or needles, 
one of which pointed the way that the little company 
should travel in the wilderness. 

God had prepared this strange instrument or 
guide for them. In the days of Moses, when he led 
the children of Israel out of Egypt, a pillar of cloud 



CHAPTER III. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 43 

by day and of fire by night moved in front of them. 
This the Hebrews followed. Bnt to Lehi he gave this 
Liahona, or compass, as the ball was called; and it 
pointed the way they shonld travel. It had one 
strange peculiarity, which was that it worked accord- 
ing to their faith and diligence. When they kept God's 
law it shewed them much more clearly the way they 
should go than when they were careless or rebellious. 

Some people have confused this ball, because it 
is called a compass, with the mariner's compass, that 
sailors use at sea to direct the course of their ships. 
But there is a great difference between the two. 
The Liahona pointed the way that Lehi's company 
should travel, while the needle in the mariner's 
compass points to the north. The one shewed the 
way Lehi should go, the other informs the traveler 
which way he is going. The one was specially pre- 
pared by the Lord for Lehi and his companions, and 
was used through faith only ; the other can be used by 
all men, whether believers in the true God, pagans or 
infidels. At times, also, writing would miraculously 
appear on the Liahona, giving directions or reproving 
for sin, as the company most needed. 

According to the command of the Lord the com- 
pany gathered their provisions, their tents, their seeds 
and other things and again started on their long and 
ofttimes ' wearisome journey. They traveled a little 
east of south, and after four days again rested at a 
place to which they gave the name, of Shazer. Here 
they hunted and killed game for food. Y\ nen they 
had obtained enough for present use they again 
started, traveling in very much the same direction, 
and keeping near the eastern shore of the Red Sea. 



4 6 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



About this time a slight accident occurred which 
gave cause for much trouble and discontent. It 
would appear that Nephi was the chief hunter of the 
company. Going out one day to sla}' beasts for food 
he broke his bow, which was made of very fine steel. 
This made his brothers very angry, for they obtained 
no food, as their bows had lost their springs. Hungry , 
angry and dejected, the3 T returned to their tents. They 
were very much fatigued, and, like most men when 
hungry and tired, they were in a very bad humor. 
Even Lehi so far forgot himself, at this time, that he 
also murmured against the Lord. But Nephi, in 
this trying hour, retained his trust in God. He did 
not murmur or complain, but, after having reasoned 
with the rest of the family, he went to work, and out 
of suitable wood he made a bow, and out of a straight 
stick he cut an arrow. When he had done this he 
went to his father, who had now humbled himself be- 
fore the Lord and sought forgiveness, and asked him 
where he should go to obtain food. 

Then the voice of the Lord came to Lehi and he 
was truly chastened because of his murmuring. The 
voice said, "Look on the ball." When he looked he 
was seized with fear because of the things which were 
written thereon, and the rest of the family also feared 
and trembled exceedingly when they read the writing. 

The writing on the ball also directed Nephi to go 
to the top of a certain high mountain, and there slay 
game for food. This he did, and brought it with joy 
to the tents of his people. 

We think it probable that the design near the top 
of the accompanying Aztec map is intended to repre- 
sent this incident; as the bird has evidently been shot 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 47 

by an arrow from the hunter's bow. The lower por- 
tion seems to shew some of the many attempts made 
by Nephi's brethren to slay him, when they bound 
him to trees in the wilderness and otherwise abused 
him. On the other hand, from the fact that the faces 
of two of the men are painted black, it is not impossible 
that they may represent some persons who had been 
killed. The lower picture is evidently a record of the 
months or years occupied in the journey. 

The journey was thus continued for a long time. 
The company would travel for a few days, then rest 
and hunt, then again take up its line of march as the 
compass directed. It generally guided them through 
the most fertile portions of the desert. Their journeys 
appear to have been frequently disturbed by the bad 
conduct of Laman and Lemuel and of those who 
would heed them. Before long Ishmael, who was an 
aged man, died, at a place which they named Nahom. 
This was a cause of great grief to his children, and a 
fresh excuse for Laman and his kind to murmur. They 
complained that they had been led into that strange 
land to die of want and fatigue, and desired to go back 
to Jerusalem. So hard hearted had Laman by this 
time become that, with others, he formed a plot to 
murder his own father and his brother Nephi. But 
the voice of the Lord came to them, chastened them 
severely for their sin, and reproved them with such 
power that their hearts were softened and the}' re- 
pented. After this the Lord again blessed them. 

From this time the compass changed the course of 
their travel and they journe3 r ed almost directly east- 
ward. This must have taken them across the penin- 
sula of Arabia to its eastern coast. 



4 8 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



It took them eight years to make the journey, 
during which time a number of children were born, 
including two sons to Lehi's wife. These he called 
Jacob and Joseph. As they went the Lord strength- 
ened them, that they endured their privations and 
labors without fatigue. He would not permit them to 
make any fire to prepare their food, but rendered it 
sweet to them without cooking. 

They had great joy when they came to the sea. 
They gave to it the name of Irreantum, which word 
means many waters. The land on the coast they 
called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and wild 
honey. While they rested on the sea shore the Lord 
gave Nephi a new command. It was that he should 
build a ship to carry the company across the ocean. 
As we may suppose, Nephi's brothers made all kinds 
of fun of him when they found he was about to try to 
build a ship. But this did not affect him. He knew 
that God never told a man to do a thing that he did 
not give him power to do. And it was so in this case, 
the Lord revealed to Nephi all that was necessary, and 
the building of the ship began. 

At first Nephi's brothers would not help him in 
the least. They treated him as the people did Noah 
when he was building the ark. They called him a 
fool, and mocked him, and then threatened to throw 
him into the sea. But the power of God was so strong 
upon Nephi that had his brothers attempted to carry 
out their threat they would have withered before him 
like a dried reed. As it was, when he stretched forth 
his hand towards them they felt a shock, which made 
their whole frames quiver. This convinced them that 
God was with their brother, for no man could have 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



49 



such power unless God was with him. After this they 
went to work and helped Nephi build the ship; and 
a good ship it was, the Lord having directed the way 
in which it should be fashioned. 

When the vessel was finished the Lord told Lehi 
and his people to go on board. They took with them 
fruit, meat, hone} T , and other food in abundance, with 
many other things needful for their comfort ; also seeds 
to plant in the soil of the promised land. Then they 
all embarked — men, women and children — beginning 
at the eldest, down to the least. A favorable wind 
sprang up and they were swiftly carried towards the 
promised land. First they crossed the Indian Ocean, 
then the South Pacific Ocean, and after many days 
reached the west coast of South America. The}^ 
landed at a point somewhere near where the city of 
Valparaiso, in Chili, now stands. 

But we must not forget to tell you that on the 
voyage they had another of those ever-recurring out 
breaks. Laman, some of the sons of Ishmael and 
others, at one time grew very merry. By and by 
they became boisterous and rude. They danced and 
sang and talked very improperly. Nephi reproved 
them. This opened the old sore. They said they 
would not have him for their ruler, but would do as 
they pleased. Then they seized him and bound him, 
hands and feet, so tightly that he suffered a great deal. 
The result was that the Lord was angry at their 
wickedness, and the compass ceased to work. A heavy 
storm arose, a head wind drove them back upon the 
waters, the waves threatened to engulf them, and they 
were all in danger of being drowned. For three days 
the rebels continued stubborn in their anger; during 



5o 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



that time they would not loose Nephi, and every one 
who plead for him or spoke in his favor was threatened 
with like tortures. But at last the danger grew so 
threatening that the} 7 released him; but his legs and 
arms had swollen so greatly by reason of the way in 
which he had been tied that he could scarcely use them. 
Notwithstanding his great weakness and sufferings, 
as soon as he was loosed he took the compass, and in 
his hands it began to work. Then the wind fell, the 
storm ceased, and there came a great calm. And Nephi 
took charge of the ship and guided it without further 
trouble, to the promised land.* 

* On the opposite page we present a reduced copy of a hieroglyphic 
drawing in the British Museum representing the journey of the forefathers 
of the Mexicans from Asia to this continent. The original was first given 
to the world by the famous Italian traveler Gumelli Farerri in his book 
entitled ' ' Giro del Mondo. ' ' Clavigero, Humboldt and others have endeav- 
ored to explain the meaning of this drawing. You will notice a palm tree 
near a hieroglyphic which much resembles that supposed to represent Jeru- 
salem in the commencement of the Boturini manuscript. This is said to 
signify the house of God; here the journey began. Near by is a bird, 
which stands for Asia. The tradition runs thus : Huitziton was a person of 
great authority amongst the Aztecs, in Asia, who for some reason, not remem- 
bered, persuaded his countrymen to change their country. While he was 
thus meditating, a bird was heard singing in a bush, ti hui, ti hui, which 
means "let us go." "Do you hear that?" said Zacpaltzin, "it is the warn- 
ing voice of the secret Deity to leave this continent and to find another." 
Therefore they started, w T ith those they could persuade to go with them, 
traveling by Tlapalan, translated, the country of the Red Sea, and after long 
journeys reached the land where the hieroglyphic leaves them. 



CHAPTER IV 



THE PROMISED LAND — CHILI — ITS NATURAL PRODUCTIONS 
— THE DEATH OF LEHI— HIS BLESSING ON HIS POS- 
TERITY—PROPHECIES OF HIS ANCESTOR JOSEPH. 

"V^THEN the little colony landed on the promised 



land they pitched their tents and began to till 
the ground. They numbered, we imagine, from sixty 
to eighty souls, possibly more. From their sowing 
they reaped abundant crops. They explored the wil- 
derness around them, and found beasts of the forest of 
maii3 T kinds; also the ox, the horse, the goat and the 
wild goat. In the rocks they discovered ore of gold, of 
silver and of copper. Of the gold ore Nephi was com- 
manded of the Lord to make some plates on which to 
keep the records of his people. 

The description given by Nephi of the region 
where the colony landed exactly corresponds with what 
we know of the country now called Chili ; and it was 
on its coast, the Prophet Joseph Smith informs us, that 
the Nephites landed, and there they established their 
first homes. Chili is favored with one of the finest and 
healthiest climates in the world. The soil is exceed- 
ing!}' fertile, and the productions of both hemispheres 
seem to thrive equally well there. The most delicious 
fruit grows in abundance — the apple, peach, grape, 
strawberry, etc. Its forests are magnificent, and fur- 
nish many kinds of beautiful wood. The grass, in its 
rich meadow pastures, is often so tall and luxuriant as 
to hide the cattle grazing amongst it. Chili also pos- 
sesses valuable mines, especially of gold, silver, copper, 
and coal. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



55 



The people of Lehi were so few in number that they 
were a quiet and solemn race, with few amusements, 
but with an oppressing sense of the vastness of the 
land which they occupied, and of their own insignifi- 
cance. Nor was there entire peace amongst them, for 
Lam an and Lemuel, with others, were still fractious 
and turbulent. 

In course of time Lehi felt that his earthly life was 
near its close, for he was aged and in failing health. 
So he called to him his sons and daughters and the 
other members of his colony, and blessed them in the 
same manner as his forefather Jacob blessed his family 
before he died. Lehi also prophesied many things that 
should happen to his posterity after him, for he was 
possessed of much of the Spirit of the Lord. After he 
had done this he died and was buried. 

Lehi appears to have taken great pleasure in the 
knowledge that he was a descendant of that Joseph 
who was sold by his brethren, and afterwards carried 
into Egypt. In the blessing that he pronounced upon 
his own son Joseph, Lehi quotes largely from the 
prophecies of the former Joseph; prophecies which 
are nowhere given us, except in the Book of Mor- 
mon. From them we learn that this mighty son of 
Jacob was greatly favored of the Lord in having 
revealed to him much that related to the future of 
his father's house, especially to his own posterity. 
He saw the days of Moses and the work that that 
prophet performed; he saw Lehi's day and his work, 
and, more interesting to us than all, he saw the estab- 
lishment of the kingdom of God in our day. He 
was told that the prophet whom the Lord would raise 
up to be the leader of God's people in the latter days 



56 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 




JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN. 



would be of his seed, and the name of this prophet, and 
that of his father also, would be the same as his — 
that is, it would be Joseph. Man}^ other matters of 
great moment that are even now taking place, were also 
made manifest to him by the Lord. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE NBPHITES AND LAMANITES SEPARATE — THE NEPHITES 
SEEK A NEW HOME— NEPHI CHOSEN KING— HE BUILDS 
A TEMPLE— INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE IN THE ARTS OF 
PEACE— WAR WITH THE LAMANITES— THE SWORD OF 
LABAN — NEPHI'S DEATH— JACOB, HIS BROTHER, BE- 
COMES THE CHIEF PRIEST— JACOB'S TEACHINGS ON 
MARRIAGE. 

gCARCELY was Lehi buried than fresh trouble arose. 

Laman and Lemuel, with their friends, would not be 
led by Nephi. They asserted that they were the elder 
brothers, and theirs was the right to rule. They would 
not recognize Nephi's authority, though they knew 
that God had appointed him to be their leader. So, 
by the command of Heaven, the two parties separated. 
Nephi, and those who would listen to him, moved 
away, and left those who clung to Laman in posses- 
sion of their first home. 

Those who went with Nephi were his own family, 
Zoram, Sam, Jacob and Joseph, and their families, and 
some others whose names the Book of Mormon does 
not give us. Henceforth those who belonged to this 
branch of Lehi's house were known as Nephites, after 
Nephi, their leader; while those who remained with 
Laman were called Lamanites. 

The condition of the Lamanites was now pitiable ; 
they had cut themselves off from the presence of the 
Lord, the priesthood was withdrawn from them, the 
records and scriptures were beyond their grasp. Hatred 
and malice reigned supreme in their souls ; they had no 
inclination for the arts of peace; they were restless, 



58 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

cunning and idle, whilst they sought in the wilderness 
the food necessary to sustain life. Already the curse 
of God was falling upon them. Lest they should 
appear pleasant to Nephite eyes, their fair and beauti- 
ful skins grew dark and repulsive, their habits became 
loathsome and filthy, and this same skin of darkness 
came upon the children of all those who intermarried 
with them. 

The Nephites called the new country in which 
they made their homes the Land of Nephi. There 
Nephi, by the wish of the people, became their king, 
though this step was contrary to his own feelings. So 
greatly was he beloved by his subjects that when he 
died the people called the next king, Nephi the second, 
the next, Nephi the third, and so on. All the kings 
were thus called Nephi, in the same way as all the 
monarchs of ancient Egypt were Pharaohs, and the 
emperors of modern Russia are Tzars. 

One of the first things that Nephi and his people 
did in their new home was to build a temple. This 
shewed great faith and courage on the part of so small 
a community. And their faith and courage triumphed, 
for the temple was finished. It was built after the 
manner of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, but not so 
large, so costly, or so grand. Yet it was a magnificent 
edifice for a people so few in number to erect. Here 
the Nephites offered burnt offerings according to the law 
of Moses, which they strictly observed; and Nephi con- 
secrated Jacob and Joseph to be priests, to officiate 
therein. 

Nephi not only built a temple, but he taught his 
people to be industrious and thrifty, honest and virtu- 
ous. He caused them to build dwellings and other 



6o STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

edifices, and to work in wood, iron, copper, brass, steel, 
silver and gold; for there was a great abundance of 
precious ores in the land in which they now dwelt. 

Nephi still retained possession of the sword of 
Laban; and, taking it as a pattern, he made many 
swords for his people to use in their own defense should 
they be attacked by the Lamanites. This precau- 
tion proved a very wise one, for in less than forty 
years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem the 
Lamanites had followed up the Nephites and com- 
menced war upon them. But the Lamanites were not 
successful, for Nephi, wielding the sword of Laban 
with his own hands, led his people to battle and drove 
back the invaders. 

When fifty -five years had passed away Nephi 
handed the small plates which he had made to his 
brother Jacob, that he might keep the sacred records 
thereon. Sometime after, how long we are not told, 
Nephi anointed another man to be king over his peo- 
ple; and then, having grown old, he died. 

Great was the love of the people for Nephi. He 
had been their prophet, priest and king; father, friend 
and guide ; protector, teacher and leader ; next to God, 
their all in all. He labored diligently all the days of 
his life to teach the people to serve God, to believe in 
Christ, to keep the laws of heaven, and to be and to do 
all that God's holy law required. In all these labors 
his brother Jacob nobly aided him. 

When Nephi died Jacob became the chief relig- 
ious teacher of the people. He was a man of much 
faith and diligence, and received the word of the Lord 
from time to time in great fullness, as the church 
needed. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 6 1 

We know but little of what occurred among the 
Nephites in Jacob's time. The people, however, appear 
in some respects to have fallen into sin. They had 
grown in worldly pride, and devoted far too much of 
their time and energies to the search for wealth. By 
reason of their isolated position, and because the 
Jews, their forefathers, had abused the principle of 
plural marriage, the people of Lehi had been com- 
manded that each man should have but one wife. Some 
of them did not heed this special law, but took other 
wives, not only without God's sanction, but entirely 
contrary to his express command. Indeed they com- 
mitted other grievous sins, excusing themselves there- 
for by quoting the actions of king David, and Sol- 
omon, his son. At this the Lord was greatly dis- 
pleased, and he instructed Jacob to reprove them 
sharply. This he did in the temple. He re-afhrined 
the law that the Nephites of that age should have only 
one wife; but added, in the name of the Lord of Hosts, 
that if he wanted to raise up a holy seed to himself, he 
would command his people.- This we have reason to 
believe, from reading the Book of Mormon, he after- 
wards did, though we find therein no direct statement 
on the matter. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CONDITION OF THE LAMANITES — SHEREM, THE FIRST 
ANTI-CHRIST — HIS RECANTATION AND DREADFUL END. 

^T^HILST the early Nephites were polygamists, and, 
unfortunately for them, unrighteous ones, the 
Lanianites were monogamists, which form of marriage 
they appear to have ever after retained. 

One phase of Lamanite character, originating, 
doubtless, in their Israelitish ancestry, is worth y of 
our praise. It was the great strength of their domes- 
tic affections, their love for their wives and their kind- 
ness to their families. As we shall have to refer so 
often to their vices, we must, in justice to them, here 
insert the description of their virtues given by Jacob, 
the son of Lehi. He says, "Behold, their husbands 
love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; 
and their husbands and wives love their children; and 
their unbelief and their hatred towards you, is because 
of the iniquity of their fathers. " Nor is there any- 
thing in this incompatible with the ferocity of their 
character or their bloodthirstiness in war. In the 
earlier ages of the Lamanite nationality, rigid chastity 
was observed by the men as well as hy the women. In- 
deed, it may be said that while they manifested most 
of the prominent vices of semi-barbarous people, they 
also possessed the virtues that such races, uncorrupted 
by a more luxurious mode of life, generally shew. 
Xor would it be consistent, nor historically true, to 
give one general description and apply it to the whole 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



63 



Lamanite race, for as their numbers increased the 
state of society amongst them grew more complex, 
and we read of different grades of civilization in their 
midst. 

It must not be forgotten that the Lamanites occu- 
pied a much wider extent of country than did the 
Nephites. In this vast area were found people who 
dwelt in cities and cultivated the arts to the extent 
generally found amongst races of the same grade and 
characteristics. Whilst others, degraded in life and 
habits, roamed in the wilderness, building no houses, 
forming no permanent abiding places, but wandering 
from place to place, and depending for food and clothing 
upon the animals the}- caught in the chase, the fishes 
that abounded in the waters, and whatever they could 
steal from the hated Nephites, or indeed of their some- 
what more highly civilized fellow-countrymen. 

It was in the days of Jacob that the first Nephite 
Anti-Christ of whom we have any account appeared. 
His name was Sherem. He openly and unblush- 
ingly taught that there would be no Christ and that 
there was no necessity for an atonement. He was a 
type of niany who came after, and a well fitted tool for 
his evil work. Bland in manners, fluent of speech, 
much given to flattery, and withal, well versed in the 
learning of the Nephites, he, by his sophistries, led 
many astray. His success fired his zeal and filled him 
with conceit. He actually sought to convert to his 
views Jacob, the prophet and presiding priest of the 
church, a man rich in wisdom, and the recipient of 
many divine revelations; one indeed who had seen 
angels and heard the voice of the Lord from time to 
time. 



6 4 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



In the interview that occurred between these two 
widely differing men, Sherem charged that Jacob had 
changed the law of Moses, which was the right way, 
into the worship of a being whom Jacob said should 
come many hundred years hence. He added, Now be- 
hold, I, Sherem, declare unto yon, that this is blas- 
phemy; for no man knoweth of these things; for he 
cannot tell of things to come. Thus he denied proph- 
ecy, and styled good evil, and exalted error in the 
place of truth. 

Jacob, being filled with the Spirit of God, con- 
founded his arguments, brought forward the testimony 
of the scriptures, and proved that the very law of 
Moses on which he lay so great a stress, was from 
beginning to end but the type and foreshadowing 
of the more perfect law of the Christ who should 
.come. 

Beaten in his arguments, Sherem fell back upon 
that almost universal refuge of the false teacher. He 
defiantly called for a sign. A sign was given him. 
The power of God came upon him and he fell stricken 
to the ground. For many days he was nourished, but 
ineffectually. He himself perceived that death was 
approaching, and with this perception gathered in his 
soul all the fears and horrors of an apostate's doom. 
But before his death he called the people to him and 
confessed his iniquity. He denied the things he had 
taught, he "confessed the Christ and the power of the 
Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels." He 
avowed that he had been deceived by the power of the 
devil, and bitterly bewailed his condition, as the fear 
that he had committed the unpardonable sin, in deny- 
ing the Savior, weighed his soul down to hell. Having 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



65 



made these small amends for his past iniquities, he 
could say no more, and gave up the ghost. 

When the people who had gathered to hear his 
last words witnessed the terrors of his death, they 
were softened in their hearts, the power of God 
rested upon them, and they fell to the earth. The 
corrupt weeds he had sown in their hearts had with- 
ered, the truth had been vindicated, the cause of the 
Savior extolled, and peace and the love of God was 
restored again among the people. Thus was this apos- 
tasy eradicated, and God glorified ; the Nephites of that 
generation from that time searching the scriptures and 
cleaving unto the truth. 

When Jacob grew old he gave the sacred records 
to the keeping of his son Enos. 



CHAPTER VII. 

ENOS, THE SON OF JACOB — THE NEPHITES AND LAMANITES 
OF HIS DAY— HIS TESTIMONY AND PROPHECIES. 

JN THE days of Enos the struggle still continued 
between the Nephites and Lamanites. The latter 
seem to have made it the business of their lives to harass 
and annoy their more peaceful brethren. Their hatred 
was fixed. They swore in their wrath that if it were 
possible they would destroy the Nephites, and also their 
records, that they might no longer be compelled to 
listen to their warnings, or be tormented by their 
appeals for peace and friendship. 



66 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



The picture that Enos draws of the degradation 
into which the Lamanites had fallen at this early day 
is a very pitiable one. He says : They were led by 
their evil nature that they became wild and ferocious, 
and a bloodthirsty people, full of idolatry and nlthiness, 
feeding upon beasts of prey, dwelling in tents, and 
wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin 
girdle about their loins, and their heads shaven; and 
their skill was in the bow, and in the cirneter, and the 
axe. And many of them did eat nothing save it was 
raw meat. This last named practice they seem to have 
inherited from their fathers in the wilderness. 

On the other hand, the Nephites at this time were 
a rural, pastoral people, rich in grain and fruits, flocks 
and herds. They were industrious in their habits, 
and committed but few serious offenses. They ob- 
served the law of Moses, but were lacking in faith, 
hard to understand gospel principles, wayward and 
stiffnecked. The terrors of the word had to be 
sounded in their unwilling ears more often than the 
gentler strains of gospel invitation. 

Enos was one of the most zealous servants of the 
Lord who ministered and prophesied to the early 
Nephites. As the son of Jacob, he succeeded his 
father in the sacred offices of priest and historian. 
He appears to have inherited his father's faith, gentle- 
ness and devotion. Of his personal life we have no 
particulars, but it is evident that he was a very aged 
man at the time of his death. His father Jacob was the 
elder of the two sons born to Lehi in the Arabian 
wilderness, between the years 600 and 590 before 
Christ; let us place the event about 594 B. C. Enos, 
in closing his record, states that one hundred and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



67 



seventy-nine years had passed since Lehi left Jerusa- 
lem. Supposing Enos was born when Jacob was thirty 
years old, it would make his age one hundred and 
forty-three years at the date of his writing. But we 
have no direct statement either of his birth or the exact 
time of his death; all we know is that when he left 
this earth he gave the records and the other sacred 
things into the hands of his son Jarom. 

One incident in the life of Enos is given us which 
is very interesting. It affords a deep insight into the 
purity and strength of his character. On one occasion 
when he went into the forest to hunt, his whole soul 
was filled with thoughts of the prophecies and teach- 
ings of his devout father, and he greatly hungered for 
more light regarding eternal things. In this fitting 
frame of mind, surrounded by the solitudes of the for- 
est, he bowed before the Lord, and in prayers long and 
fervent, sought his face. All day long he raised his 
voice to heaven, and when the night came he did not 
cease. At last his steadfast faith and godly yearnings 
prevailed. There came a heavenly voice of comfort to 
his heart, sa}ang: 

Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, thou shalt be 
blessed. 

Lord, how is it done? he anxiously asked. 

The answer came : Because of thy faith in Christ, 
whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And 
many years pass away before he shall manifest him- 
self in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made 
thee whole. 

Enos continued struggling with the Lord for prom- 
ises in behalf of both the Nephites and Lamanites. He 
received many precious assurances of things yet to be ; 



68 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



amongst others, that the Lord would preserve the holy 
records and bring them forth unto the Lamanites in 
his own due time. Of these things Enos gladly testi- 
fied to the people, going about in their midst, prophesy- 
ing of the mighty events yet in the future, and bearing 
record of that which he had both seen and heard. 



JAROM — OMNI — AMARON — CHEMISH — ABINADOM — AMALEKI 
— MOSIAH — REVIEW OF NEPHITE HISTORY FOR FOUR 
HUNDRED YEARS. 

'T^HE days of the prophet Jarom were neither few nor 



unimportant. During the sixty years that he had 
charge of the holy things (B. C. 422 to B. C. 362) the 
Nephites may be said to have grown from a powerful 
tribe to a wealthy, though not as yet very numerous, 
nation. Indeed, their numbers were far from being 
equal to those of the wild and bloodthirsty Lamanites. 
The latter, like their descendants of to-day, spent their 
time almost exclusively in the chase of wild animals 
and in war; yet, notwithstanding their vigorous and 
repeated onslaughts, the age of Jarom was to the 
Nephites one of marked progress in the arts of peace. 

They ceased to be entirely a pastoral people. 
They gave much attention to the adornment of their 
homes and public buildings with fine and curious work 
in wood and metal. Agriculture and manufacture 
received a new impetus by the invention of various labor- 
saving machines, implements and tools. Their safety 



CHAPTER VIII. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



6 9 



from successful attack from the Lamanites was also 
measurably secured by the introduction of more perfect 
weapons of war, and the development of a rude sys- 
tem of fortification, sufficient, however, to protect their 
cities and settlements from the means of attack at the 
command of their foes. 

Though the Nephites of this age were stiffhecked 
and perverse, requiring the constant warnings of proph- 
ets to keep them from backsliding, yet the pervading 
tone of their society was simple and unaffected, and the 
people were generally industrious, honest and moral. 
They neither blasphemed nor profaned the holy name 
of the Deity, they kept sacred the Sabbath da}^, and 
strictly observed the law of Moses. Their prophets, 
priests and teachers not only instructed them in this 
law, but also expounded the intent for wl^ich it was 
given, and while so doing, directed their minds to the 
coming of the Messiah, in whom they taught the people 
to believe as though he had already come. These 
pointed and constant teachings preserved the Nephites 
from destruction, by softening their hearts and bring- 
ing them to repentance, when war, wealth or pride had 
exerted its baneful influences. 

Shortly before Jarom died he delivered the sacred 
plates to his son Omni. Omni kept them for about 
forty-four years and then handed them to his son 
Amaron; who in turn transferred them to his brother 
Chemish. Chemish, when his end drew near, placed 
them in the hands of his son Abinadom, who after- 
wards gave them in charge of his son Amaleki. 

It is very little that we know of the history of 
the Nephites from the death of Jarom to the time 
of Amaleki, a period of about one hundred and 



7 o 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



fifty years. The political records of the nation were 
engraved on other plates, which were kept by the 
kings, and as there was little that they felt it neces- 
sary to write beyond what Nephi and Jacob had 
written, their records are very short. From what 
little we can glean from these writings it is evident 
that dnring this era the Nephites had frequent wars 
with the Lamanites, in many of which they suffered 
severely. 

The Lord permitted these wild sons of the wil- 
derness to be a constant scourge to the people of 
Nephi when they turned away from him; and we fear 
that the seasons were not unfrequent when they had to 
be reminded of their duty in this terrible way. It also 
seems probable that, to avoid the constant incursions 
of the warriors of the house of Laman, the Nephites 
had more than once forsaken their homes and retired 
farther northward into the wilderness. We judge this 
from the fact that in the days of Amaleki, the land of 
Nephi appears to have been in or near the region we 
call Bcuador, a country far distant from the place 
where Lehi's colony first landed ; and it is scarcely con- 
sistent with the narrative of the Book of Mormon to 
believe that Nephi and his little band, when they first 
separated from their brethren, made a journey of so 
many hundreds of miles before they established their 
homes. Then the very fact that the Lamanites almost 
immediately began to harass them in the new land 
which they occupied is strong evidence that their first 
removal was not so distant but that these enemies 
could, without great difficulty, reach them, a thing that 
would have been almost impossible if they had gone 
directly "to the far distant region of Ecuador. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 7 1 

We now come to the days of the first Mosiah. 
But before relating the story of his life and reign we 
will briefly summarize what we know of the history of 
the Nephites during the first three or four hundred 
years of their national existence. 

They were governed by kings who were the direct 
descendants of Nephi. These kings were, as a rule, 
righteous men and wise rulers. The law of Moses was 
strictly observed, and other good and just laws were 
enacted to regulate those matters which the Mosaic 
law did not touch. 

The Nephites multiplied greatly, and also grew 
exceedingly rich in the wealth of this world; while 
their artisans and mechanics were very expert in the 
arts and manufactures. They also spread abroad on 
the face of the land of Nephi and were much scattered. 

The Lamanites followed them from the land of 
their first possession, and were constantly harassing 
them by incursions and invasions, which led to numer- 
ous and bloody wars. These were sometimes very 
disastrous to the Nephites. 

Spiritually, the Nephites had man} 7 seasons of 
faithfulness to God when they listened to and obeyed 
the words of his prophets ; and, unfortunately, they 
had also many seasons of apostasy, at which times the 
judgments of God fell upon them; the Lamanites 
being often used by him as a sharp instument to bring 
them to repentance and reformation. 



CHAPTER IX. 



CAUSES THAT LED TO THE MIGRATION FROM THE LAND 
OF NEPHI— THE PEOPLE OF ZARAHEMLA — MULEK AND 
HIS COLONY— THE FUSION OF THE TWO NATIONS — 
MOSIAH MADE KING — HIS HAPPY REIGN. 

J^OSIAH resided in the land of Nephi, and lived 
there as near as we can discover dnring the latter 
half of the third century before Christ. Whether he 
was originally a prophet, priest or king, the historian 
( Amaleki) does not inform us. Most certainly he was 
a righteous man, for the Lord made choice of him to 
guide the obedient Nephites from their native country 
to a land that he would shew them. 

The causes that led the Lord to make this call 
upon the Nephites are not stated, but some of them can 
be easily surmised. Amongst such we suggest that: 

The aggressive Lamanites were constantly crowd- 
ing upon them, ravaging their more remote districts, 
entrapping and enslaving the inhabitants of the out- 
lying settlements, driving off their flocks and herds 
and keeping them in a constant state of anxiety and 
dread, which hindered their progress and stayed the 
growth of the work of God. The Lord therefore led 
them to a land of peace. 

Again, this course of events, continued for so long 
a period, had caused much hard-heartedness and stiff- 
neckedness in the midst of the Nephites. Some of 
the people had remained righteous, some had grown 
very wicked. To separate these classes the Lord 
called the faithful and obedient to follow Mosiah to 
another land. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 73 

For a third reason: there was a portion of the 
honse of Israel, a few hundred miles to the north, 
entirely unknown to their Nephite brethren. These 
people had sunk very \ow in true civilization; they 
were so degraded that they denied the being of their 
Creator, they had had many wars and contentions 
among themselves ; they had corrupted their language, 
had no records nor scriptures, and were altogether in a 
deplorable condition. To save and regenerate this 
branch of God's covenant people, Mosiah and his peo- 
ple were led to the place where they dwelt. 

Few are the words and brief is the statement made 
by Amaleki regarding this great migration under Mo- 
siah. We are altogether left to our imagination to pic- 
ure the scenes that occurred at this division of a nation. 

Imagine the conflict, that perplexed many a heart 
between the appeals of love and faith, between duty 
and affection, when the old homes had to be deserted, 
when families had to be parted, and the one stern, un- 
compromising feeling of duty to the right and devotion 
to God had to be the all-controlling sentiment. Nor 
can we tell how many, preferring home, kindred and 
friends, and the endearments and associations of their 
native land, faltered and tarried behind, whilst the 
faithful started on their journey northward into the 
untrodden wilderness. Nor are we told what after- 
wards became of those who allowed the allurements of 
the world to prevail. It is most probable that they united 
with the Lamanites, were absorbed into that race, and, 
like them, became darkened, bloodthirsty and savage. 
Neither do we know the proportion to the whole pop- 
ulation of those who left with Mosiah and those who 
stayed behind. 



74 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



The Nephite evacuation of the cities built in the 
Land of Nephi no doubt had a beneficial effect on those 
portions of the Lamanite race that took possession of 
them. They thereby became acquainted with some of 
the comforts and excellencies of civilization, and, though 
very slow to learn, their experience at this time laid the 
foundation for a slight advance of the arts of peace in 
their midst, and from this time we read of two classes 
of this people, the one living in cities, the other roam- 
ing in the wilderness. 

Mosiah gathered up the willing and obedient and,, 
as directed by the Lord, started on the journey. 

Whither they were going they understood not, 
only they knew that the Lord was leading them. Like 
their forefathers under Moses, when in the wilderness 
of Sinai, they were taught continually by the word of 
Jehovah and were led by his arm. With preachings 
and prophesyings they crossed the wilderness and 
passed down into the land of Zarahemla. 

On the west bank of the river Sidon the people of 
Mosiah found a populous city of whose existence they 
had never before heard. Its people were a semi-civil- 
ized and irreligious race, speaking a strange language, 
and with man}^ habits and customs different from those 
of the new comers. 

The meeting must have been a perplexing one 
to both people. Heretofore both had considered 
themselves the owners of the whole continent. Now" 
they were brought face to face, but unable to under- 
stand each other by reason of their different modes of 
speech. We often read in history of the irruption of 
an inferior or more barbarous race into the domains of 
a more highly civilized one, but it is seldom, as in this 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



75 



case, that the superior race moves in a body, occupies 
the country, and unites with the less enlightened peo- 
ple. It is probable that the first feelings of the old 
settlers were akin to awe and dismay as they learned 
of the hosts of the invaders that were marching upon 
them; but these feelings were soon soothed and an 
understanding arrived at by which the two people 
became one nation. Though the Book of Mormon 




THE JEWS TED AWAY TO CAPTIVITY. 



gives us no details on this point, we are forced to the 
conclusion that this arrangement could not have been 
effected without the direct interposition of heaven, by 
and through which both people were brought to a 
united purpose and common understanding. 

When the Nephites began to comprehend the 
language of their new fellow citizens, they found that 
they were the descendants of a colony which had been 
led from Jerusalem by the hand of the Lord in the year 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 77 

that that city was destroyed by the king of Babylon 
(say B. C. 589). In that little colony was a child 
named Mnlek ; he was the only son of king Zedekiah 
who had escaped the fnry of the Babylonish monarch. 
After wandering in the wilderness, they were brought 
across the great waters and landed in the southern por- 
tion of the North American continent, and in after years 
moved southward to the place where they were discov- 
ered by Mosiah and his people. At this time their king 
or ruler was named Zarahemla (about B. C. 200). He 
was a descendant of Mulek, and consequently of the 
tribe of Judah and of the house of David. The reason 
assigned for their departure from the worship of the 
true God, their degradation and the corruption of their 
language, was that their forefathers brought with them 
from their ancient home in Palestine no records or 
copies of the holy scriptures to guide and preserve 
them from error in their isolated land of adoption. 

When the two races joined, it was decided that 
Mosiah should be the king of the united people, though 
the Nephites were then the less numerous. This 
arrangement probably grew out of the fact that though 
less in numbers they were the most civilized and, also 
being worshipers of the God of Israel, they would not 
willingly submit to be ruled by those who had no 
knowledge of his laws. 

The education of the people of Zarahemla to the 
standard of the Nephites, and the work of harmonizing 
the two races, were not the task of an hour. It required 
much wisdom, patience and perseverance. Mosiah gave 
stability to the new kingdom by his own virtues and 
wise example, by the just laws he established, and by 
placing the service of the Lord before all earthly con- 



78 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



siderations. It is evident that he built a temple in the 
new land, as its existence is particularly mentioned in 
the days of his son, king Benjamin, and as the people 
observed the law of Moses in the matter of sacrifices 
and offerings, a temple would be one of the very first 
necessities to enable them to carry out the require- 
ments of their religion. But to the forms, types, shadows 
and ceremonies of the Mosaic law were added gospel 
principles, with a clear and definite understanding of 
the coming and divine work of the Messiah, all of 
which is very evident in the instructions given to their 
subjects by Mosiah's two successors. 

Mosiah was not only a divinely inspired leader and 
king, but he was also a seer. Whilst reigning in Zara- 
hemla a large engraved stone was brought to him, and 
by the gift and power of God he translated the engrav- 
ings thereon. They gave an account of the rise, fall 
and destruction of the great Jaredite nation, from the 
days of its founders, who came out from the Tower of 
Babel, to the time of their last king, Coriantumer, who 
himself was discovered by the people of Zarahemla and 
lived with them nine moons. 

When Mosiah died he was succeeded by his son 
Benjamin. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE REIGN OF KING BENJAMIN— THE PROGRESS OF HIS 
PEOPLE— HIS LAST GREAT SPEECH — HE ESTABLISHES 
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST — ALL THE PEOPLE COVE- 
NANT WITH GOD — MOSIAH II. ANOINTED KING. 

A MIGHTY man in the midst of Israel was Benjamin, 



the son of Mosiah. Blessed were the people over 
whom he reigned, for he governed them in righteous- 
ness, and for their welfare he labored with all the might 
of his body and the faculty of his whole soul. Holy 
and pure in his individual life, he was ministered to by 
angels, and was the frequent recipient of revelations 
from on high. 

The reign of Benjamin was a long one ; he died at 
a very advanced age. Some time during this period, 
the aggressive Lamanites, not content with occupying 
the Land of Nephi, actually followed the Nephites into 
the Land of Zarahemla and invaded that also. The 
war was a bloody one. King Benjamin led his forces, 
armed with the historic sword of Laban, which appears 
to have been handed down from monarch to monarch 
from the days that Nephi first wielded it, and with his 
own strong arm slew many of the enemy. Benjamin 
was ultimately successful in driving the invading hosts 
out of all the regions occupied by his people, with a 
loss to the Lamanites of many thousand warriors slain. 

The reign of Benjamin was also troubled with 
various religious impostors, false Christs, pretended 
prophets, etc., who caused apostasy and dissensions 
among the people, much to the sorrow of the good king. 




So STORY OK THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



However, by the aid of some of trie many righteous 
men who dwelt in his dominions, he exposed the here- 
sies, made manifest the falsity of the claims of the 
self-styled Messiahs and prophets, and restored unity of 
faith and worship among his subjects ; and in such cases 
where these innovators had broken the civil law, they 
were arraigned, tried, and punished by that law. It 
must not be forgotten that freedom of conscience was 
absolutely protected amongst the Nephites, and even 
the civil law was administered with great mercy in the 
days of these kings. In his last great speech to his 
people, Benjamin reminded them of the justice and 
clemency with which he had caused the law to be 
administered, how none of them had been arbitrarily 
cast into prison or otherwise punished, except for actual 
proven violations of the law. He also reminded them 
how he, their king, had labored with his own hands 
to defray the expenses of royalty, in order that they 
might not be ground down by excessive taxation. 
No wonder that he was so greatly loved and his name 
held in such high reverence by his people. Recorded 
history scarcely affords such another instance of kingly 
humility and regard for the welfare of his people. 

We may presume that the original inhabitants of 
Zarahemla, just awakening to a newness of religious 
life, were particularly subject to the influences brought 
to bear by these impostors. They had but lately learned 
the mysteries of the plan of salvation and of the com- 
ing of the Messiah to dwell among the sons of men. 
The glory and beauty of this Divine advent filled their 
new-born souls with joyous hope. Looking forward for 
the arrival of that happy day, with their first love 
undiminished and their zeal unslackened, they were 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 8 1 

especially open to the deceptions of those who cried, 
Lo, the Christ is come! or, Behold, a great prophet hath 
arisen! To this peculiar phase of spiritual condition 
in the midst of the lately consolidated races in the land 
of Zarahemla, we may attribute the frequency with 
which false prophets troubled the reign of Benjamin. 

There was another class who, moved by the spirit 
of unrest, were a source of perplexity to the king. 
They were those who, having left the Land of Nephi 
with the righteous, still permitted their thoughts and 
affections to be drawn toward their former homes and 
old associations. Like Lot's wife, these Nephites were 
ever hankering for that which they had left behind. 
The natural consequence was that they were constantly 
agitating the idea of organizing expeditions to visit - 
their old homes. The first of these that actually started, 
of which we have an account, was led by an austere and 
bloodthirsty man. When they approached the Land of 
Nephi, a great dissension arose in the company. The 
leader and some others desired to attack, and if possi- 
ble destroy, the Lamanite inhabitants, but others, see- 
ing that there was good amongst them, desired to make 
a treaty with them. This division of feeling led to a 
disastrous battle, in which the members of the expedi- 
tion fought against each other with such fury that they 
ceased not to contend until all were slain except fifty 
men, who, in shame and sorrow, returned to Zarahemla 
to recount the miserable end of their venture. Yet 
some -remained unsatisfied, they were still over-zeal- 
ous to inherit the land of their forefathers, and, under 
the leadership of a man named Zeniff, another company 
started on the ill-advised journey. Nothing was heard 
from them while Benjamin reigned. 



82 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



When king Benjamin was well stricken with years, 
the Lord directed him to consecrate his son Mosiah to be 
his snccessor on the Nephite throne. Feeling that age 
was impairing his energies he directed his son to gather 
the people together at the temple that had been erected 
in Zarahemla, and he would then give them his parting 
instructions. (B. C. 125.) Agreeable to this call the 
people gathered at the temple, but so numerous had 
they grown that it was too small to hold them. They 
also brought with them the firstlings of their flocks that 
they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according 
to the Mosaic law. As the assembled thousands could 
not get inside the temple they pitched their tents by 
families, every one with its door towards the building, 
and the king had a tower erected near the temple from 
which he spake . 

The teachings of king Benjamin at these meetings 
were some of the most divine and glorious ever uttered 
by man. He preached to them the pure principles of 
the gospel — the duty which men owed to their God 
and to their fellows. He also told them how he had 
been visited by an angel, and what wondrous things 
that angel had shewn him concerning the coming of 
the God of Israel to dwell with men in the flesh. So 
great were the things that this angel revealed and king 
Benjamin repeated to the people that we think it best 
to give you his own words. They are: 

For behold the time cometh, and is not far distant, 
that with power, the Lord Omnipotent, who reigneth, 
who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall 
come down from heaven, among the children of men, and 
shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth 
amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



83 



the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, 
the blind to receive their sight and the deaf to hear, and 
curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out 
devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of 
the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer tempta- 
tions, and pain of body, hunger, thirst and fatigue, even 
more than men can suffer, except it be unto death; for 
behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be 
his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations 
of his people. 

And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of 
God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all 
things, from the beginning; and his mother shall be 
called Mary. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that 
salvation might come unto the children of men, even 
through faith on his name ; and even after all this they 
shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, 
and shall scourge him and shall crucify him. And he 
shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold he 
standeth to judge the world; and behold all these things 
are done, that a righteous judgment might come upon 
the children of men. 

When Benjamin had made an end of speaking the 
words which had been delivered to him by the angel, 
he observed that the power of his testimony had so 
worked upon the Nephites that they, in the deep sense 
of their own unworthiness, had fallen to the ground. 
And they cried out confessing their faith in the com- 
ing Messiah, and pleading that through his atoning 
blood they might receive the forgiveness of their sins, 
and that their hearts might be purified. After they 
had lifted their deep felt cry to heaven, the Spirit of 
the Lord came down upon them, and because of their 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



85 



exceeding faith they received a remission of their 
sins. 

Their inspired rnler then continued his discourse. 
He enlarged therein on the truths of the atonement 
and other soul saving doctrines. Having finished his 
address he sent amongst his hearers to know if they 
believed and accepted the heavenly truths he had been 
teaching. Great was his joy when he found that they 
not only believed, but because of the working of the 
Spirit of the Lord in their hearts they knew of their 
truth. Still more, the Holy Spirit had wrought such 
a change within them that they had no more disposi- 
tion to do evil, but to do good continually. The vis- 
ions of eternity were opened to their minds, their souls 
were filled with the spirit of prophecy, they longed to 
serve the Lord with undivided hearts, and declared 
themselves willing to make a covenant with him to 
keep his commandments and do his will the remaindar 
of their days. 

The king then gave them a new name, because of 
the covenant they desired to make, which thing he 
greatly desired. The name they were to bear for ever 
after was the name of Christ, which should never be 
blotted out except through transgression. Thus was 
established the first Christian church in Zarahemla 
(B. C. 125), for every soul who heard these teachings 
(except the very little children who could not under- 
stand) entered into this sacred covenant with God 
which most of them faithfully observed. 

King Benjamin's truly royal work was now done. 
He had lived to bring his people into communion with 
their Creator, his spirit was full of heavenly joy. but 
his body trembled under the weight of many years. 



86 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



So before he dismissed trie multitude He consecrated 
his son Mosiah to be their king, appointed priests 
to instruct the people in the ways of the Lord, and, 
with his patriarchal blessing, dismissed his sub- 
jects. Then according to their respective families they 
all departed for their own homes. 

Mosiah now reigned in his father's stead, whilst 
Benjamin, beloved and honored, remained yet another 
three years on the earth before he returned to the 
presence of his Father in heaven. 



CHAPTER XI. 

ZENIFF RETURNS TO THE LAND OF NEPHI — HIS TREATY 
WITH THE LAMANITES— THE PROSPERITY OF THE PEO- 
PLE OF ZENIFF— THE TREATY BROKEN— WAR— PEACE 
AND WARS AGAIN— THE DEATH OF ZENIFF— NOAH'S 
WICKED REIGN— HIS WARS WITH THE LAMANITES— 
THE PROPHET ABINADI — HIS TERRIBLE MESSAGE OF 
GOD'S WRATH — HE IS MARTYRED — ALMA — HE PLEADS 
FOR ABINADI— IS CAST OUT— FLEES TO THE PLACE OF 
MORMON. 

T3EFORE proceeding with the story of king Mosiah's 
reign, we will return to the land of Nephi, and 
learn how matters are progressing there. It will be 
recollected that during the reign of king Benjamin a 
company started from Zarahemla to return to the old 
home of the Nephites. Their leader's name was Zeniff. 
What became of him and them was a question that was 
never answered during that king's lifetime. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



87 



Zeniff and his people, having left Zarahemla, 
traveled southward towards the land of Nephi. The 
blessings of the Lord were not greatly with them, for 
they did not seek him nor strive to do his will. In the 
wilderness they lost their way, and suffered from fam- 
ine and many afflictions; but after many days they 
reached the neighborhood of the city of Lehi-Nephi, 
the former home of their race. Here Zeniff chose four 
of his company, and accompained by them went to the 
king of the Lamanites. This monarch received them 
with the appearance of kindness. He made a treaty 
with them, and gave them the lands of Lehi-Nephi and 
Shilom to dwell in. He also caused his own people to 
remove out of these cities and the surrounding country 
that Zeniff's people might have full possession. The 
king of the Lamanites was in reality not as friendly as 
he pretended to be. His object was to get the indus- 
trious Nephites to settle in the midst of his people, and 
then by his superior numbers to make them his slaves ; 
for his own subjects were a lazy, unprogressive race. 

As soon as Zeniff and his followers occupied their 
new possessions they went to work to build houses 
and to repair the walls of the city ; for the idle Laman- 
ites had suffered them to fall into decay. They also 
commenced to till the ground, and to plant all manner 
of seeds of grain, vegetables and fruit therein. Soon, 
through their thrift and industry, they began to pros- 
per and multiply. This caused King Laman to grow 
uneasy. He desired to bring them into bondage that 
his people might reap the benefits of the labors of the 
Nephites. But they were growing so rapidly that 
he feared that if he did not soon put a stop to their 
increase they would be the stronger of the two people. 



88 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



To preA-ent this he began to stir up the hearts of his 
people in anger against the Nephites. He succeeded 
so well that in the thirteenth year of ZenifFs reign in 
the land of Lehi-Nephi a numerous host of Lamanites 
suddenly fell upon his people, while they were feeding . 
and watering their flocks, and began to slay them. 
They also carried off some of their flocks, and the 
corn from their fields. 

Those of the Nephites who were not slain or over- 
taken fled to Zeniff. As quickly as he could he armed 
his people with bows and arrows, swords and cimeters, 
clubs and slings, and with such other weapons as the}' 
could invent. Thus armed they went forth in the 
strength of the Lord to meet the enemy, for in their 
hour of peril the}' had cried mightily unto him, and he 
heard their cries and answered their prayers. 

Thus strengthened they met their foes. The bat- 
tle was an obstinate and a bloody one. It lasted all 
day and all night. At last the Lamanites were driven 
back with a loss of 3043 warriors, while the people of 
Zeniff had to mourn the death of 279 of their breth- 
ren. After this there was peace in the land for many 
years. 

During this time of peace Zeniff taught his peo- 
ple to be very industrious. He caused his men to till 
the ground and raise all kinds of fruit and grain. 
The women he had spin and make cloth for clothing, 
fine linen, etc. In this way for twenty-two years they 
prospered and had uninterrupted peace; but at the 
end of that period the Lamanites again came up to war 
against them. 

At this time the old king Laman died, and his son 
succeeded him upon the throne. Like many young 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 89 

men, lie desired to distinguish himself in war. So he 
gathered a numerous host of the Lamanites and hav- 
ing armed them in the same manner as the Nephites, 
he led them to the north of the land of Shemlon, 
which lay side by side the land of Nephi-Lehi. 

An army of the Lamanites was at this era a 
strange sight to look upon. Their heads were shaved, 
the only covering of their bodies was a leathern girdle 
around their loins, otherwise they were naked. Their 
arms were bows, arrows, slings, swords, etc. 

When Zeniff learned of the approach of young 
king Laman's armies, he caused the women and chil- 
dren of his people to hide in the wilderness ; but every 
man, young or old, who was able to bear arms was 
placed in the ranks to go out against the foe. Zeniff 
himself was then an aged man, but he still continued 
to command his forces and led them in person to 
battle. But before doing so he recounted to his sol- 
diery the history of the two peoples, stimulated them to 
valor by shewing them that in this contest they were 
in the right ; then calling upon them to put their trust 
in God, he led them to the onset. Strengthened by 
the faith Zeniff had renewed in their hearts, the 
Nephites gained a great victory ; and so numerous were 
the slain of the Lamanites that they were not counted. 
After this there was peace again in the land, which 
continued all the remaining days of Zeniff. Shortly 
after this he died, and, unfortunately for his kingdom, 
chose for his successor an unworthy son, named Noah, 
who led the people into many sins and ruled with 
such folly and weakness that they fell an easy prey 
to the ever-watchful foe that everywhere surrounded 
them. 



go 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



King Noah did not walk in the ways of his father, 
for he was a very wicked man. He was filled with Inst 
and cruelty, and rnled his people with a tyrant's hand. 
He removed the good priests who had been consecrated 
by his father, and placed corrnpt men, of his own stamp* 
in their stead. Then he lay heavy taxes npon the 
people, even one fifth of all they possessed, whether it 
was gold or silver, grain or frnit, flocks or herds. 
These taxes he wasted npon himself and his priests,' 
npon his wives and concnbines, and the harlots with 
whom the priests consorted. Noah also bnilt a very 
grand palace in Lehi-Nephi for his own comfort, and 
spent mnch in lavishly ornamenting the temple in 
that city. Near the temple he erected a very high 
tower, so high that any one standing npon its top 
conld see all over the snrronnding country. He also 
did mnch building in the land of Shilom, and there 
erected another high tower. Furthermore he planted 
many vineyards and made his people a drunken race. 
All this he did with the riches which he ground out of 
his tax-burdened subjects. 

How different was his course to that of the right- 
eous Benjamin, who was at that time reigning in Zara- 
hemla. We can scarcely conceive of two men more 
different in habits and character. The great care of 
the one was to serve God and benefit his people, the 
other had no other thought than to gratify his own 
desires and live for his own pleasure, no matter how 
much pain or suffering it caused his fellow men. 

Again the Lamanites attacked the Nephites while 
engaged in their labors, killed them and drove off their 
flocks. King Noah then set guards around the land, 
but in such small numbers that they were destroyed. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 9 1 

He finally sent his armies and drove the Lamanites 
away. This victory made him and his people con- 
ceited and boastful, and developed a delight in them 
to shed the blood of the Lamanites. 

At this time a prophet, named Abinadi, appeared 
among them, and predicted that they would be brought 
into bondage to their enemies unless they repented of 
their wickedness. The king and the people were very 
angry with Abinadi, and sought to take his life. 
Two years after he came among them in disguise. 
This time he uttered, in the name of the Lord, very 
terrible prophecies against Noah and his people. He 
told them that they should go into bondage to their 
enemies, that they should be smitten like dumb beasts 
and be slain. That vultures and dogs should devour 
their carcasses. That famine and pestilence should 
come upon them, and hail and insects should destroy 
their crops. And in the end, if they did not repent, 
they should be utterly destroyed. All of which was 
fulfilled in a very few years. 

Abinadi was one of the greatest of prophets ; he 
was filled with the Holy Ghost, but the people would 
not heed him, and the more he exposed their iniquites 
the more furious raged their anger against him. Neither 
did they believe his words ; in their own opinion they 
were everything that was good. They were mighty 
in their own strength, and unapproachably wise in their 
own conceit. Never, if you could believe them, had a 
better, more valiant, more innocent people lived. Filled 
with this spirit of self-conceit they took Abinadi, bound 
him, and hurried him, with railing accusations, before 
the king. There the priests began to cross-question 
him, that they might confuse him and cause him to 



92 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



say something that would give them a pretext for 
slaying him. This conduct was providentially turned 
to the glory of God and to the good of many souls. 
It gave Abinadi the chance in turn to question his 
accusers, by which he shewed their deceit and iniquity ; 
and it also enabled him to explain many of the prin- 
ciples of the gospel of life and salvation. His teach- 
ings pricked the hearts of a few, while they more 
greatly enraged the greater number. Particularly did 
he impress upon their minds the great truth that Christ 
should come, and quoted the words of Isaiah and other 
Hebrew prophets to sustain his words. His teachings 
are among the strongest and plainest that any of the 
scriptures record, and should be read by all who desire 
to become fully acquainted with the truths of divine 
love and mercy for fallen humanity. 

These doctrines were, however, exactly what Noah's 
infidel priests did not want. They charged Abinadi 
with having reviled the king, and on this charge 
obtained Noah's consent for his execution. And 
Abinadi was cruelly tortured and burned to death by 
his fellow citizens in the sin-stained city of Lehi-Nephi. 
How strange that people can so quickly grow wicked. 
In Zeniff 's reign they kept God's laws, if only after a 
fashion, but in Noah's days, led by his bad example, 
they sank to the depth of shedding innocent blood, and 
taking the life of one who had done them no wrong, 
but whose only fault was to reprove them of their 
wrong doings, and to strive to teach them repentance 
and the road to heaven. 

Abinadi's last words were very terrible in their 
prophetic denunciations. When the flames began to 
scorch him he cried out: 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



93 



Behold even as ye have done unto me, so shall it 
come to pass that thy seed shall cause that many shall 
suffer, even the pains of death by fire ; and this because 
they believe in the salvation of the Lord their God. 
And it will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted with 
all manner of diseases because of your iniquities. Yea, 
and ye shall be smitten on every hand, and shall be 
driven and scattered to and fro, even as a wild flock is 
driven by wild and ferocious beasts. And in that day 
ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand 
of your enemies, and then ye shall suffer, as I suffer, 
the pains of death by fire. Thus God executeth ven- 
geance upon those that destro} T his people. O God, 
receive my soul. 

But all the people did not in their hearts consent 
to this great crime. One among them especially, 
whose name was Alma, confessed the truth of Abin- 
adi's words. He knew that the grave charges the 
prophet made were true. He was a young man, one of 
Noah's priests, and when the clamor was highest 
for Abinadi's death, he went to the king and plead in 
Abinadi's behalf. This so angered Noah that he had 
Alma cast out of his presence, and then sent his ser- 
vants after the young priest to slay him. Alma, 
however, hid from his pursuers, and, during his con- 
cealment, wrote the words he had heard Abinadi speak, 
which teachings now form one of the most important 
of the doctrinal portions of the Book of Mormon. 

The power and importance of Abinadi's teachings 
had sunk deep in the heart of Alma ; he not only real- 
ized their truth, but he comprehended their saving- 
value. The first lesson they impressed upon his mind 
was the necessity of his own repentance. This he did 



94 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



sincerely; and then began to teach the same lesson to 
others. For fear of the king he did not do this openly, 
bnt secretly as opportunity permitted. 

Alma's preaching of God's holy word was not 
without fruit. Many received the truth with joy. 
These gathered to a convenient spot on the borders of 
the wilderness, but not far off their city. This place 
was called Mormon. It was admirably suited for a 
hiding-place, having been formerly infested by ravenous 
wild beasts, and as such was dreaded and avoided by 
the people. Near by was a thicket or forest of small 
trees, in which the gospel believers could hide should 
they be pursued by the king's servants ; here also was 
a fountain of pure water, most excellently adapted for 
the purposes of baptism. Here was this holy rite first 
administered, and here was the church of Christ organ- 
ized. How different the circumstances of its organiza- 
tion to those which attended the same event in the land 
of Zarahemla, under king Benjamin, of which we 
have already spoken. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE WATERS OF MORMON — ALMA, HELAM AND OTHERS BAP- 
TIZED THEREIN — THE CHURCH ORGANIZED— THE KING 
WARNED — HE SENDS TROOPS — ALMA AND HIS PEOPLE 
FLEE TO THE LAND OF HELAM— THEY BUILD A CITY. 

^JpHE FIRST to go down into the waters of Mormon 
for baptism were Alma and a fellow believer named 
Helam. When they entered the water Alma lifted his 
voice in prayer, and besonght the Lord for his Holy 
Spirit. This blessing having been bestowed, he pro- 
ceeded with the sacred ordinance. Addressing his 
companion, he said, Helam, I baptize thee, having 
authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that 
ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you 
are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of 
the Lord be poured out upon you ; and may he grant 
unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, 
whom he has prepared from the foundation of the 
world. Having said these words, both Alma and 
Helam were buried in the water, from which they 
came forth rejoicing, being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Others, even to the number of two hundred and 
four souls, followed Helam into the waters of baptism, 
but in all these cases Alma did not again bury himself 
beneath the wave, but only the repentant believers. 
From this time we may date the organization of the 
Church of Jesus Christ in that land, and henceforth its 
members assembled for worship and testimony once a 
week. 

Notwithstanding the care and secrecy with which 
the members of the church adted, Noah soon discovered 



9 6 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



that there was some hidden movement amongst his 
subjects, and by the help of his spies he discovered 
what was taking place at Mormon. Making the tyrant's 
usual excuse, that the Christians were in rebellion 
against him, he sent his armies to capture and destroy 
them. But a greater than he stretched forth his arm 
to preserve his people. The Lord warned Alma of 
the king's intentions, and by divine direction he 
assembled his people, some 450 souls, gathered their 
flocks and herds, loaded up their grain, provisions and 
other supplies, and departed into the wilderness. 

Being strengthened by the Lord, notwithstanding 
that they were impeded by their flocks and families, 
the pilgrims traveled with sufficient rapidity to escape 
the pursuing forces of king Noah, who were reluct- 
antly compelled to return to the land of Nephi with- 
out having accomplished the object of the expedition. 
At the end of eight days Alma's company ceased 
their flight, and settled in a very beautiful and pleasant 
land where there was an abundant supply of pure 
water. We have no direct information with regard to 
the course taken by this colony, but it is evident from 
the details of their later history, that the new settle- 
ment lay somewhere between the lands of Nephi and 
Zarahemla, though possibly somewhat aside from the 
most direct route. We think it far from improbable 
that it was situated at the head waters of some one of 
the numerous tributaries to the Amazon that take their 
rise on the eastern slopes of the Andes. 

The colonists, whose industry is especially re- 
ferred to by the inspired historian, immediately set to 
work to till the soil and build a city. The city, with 
the surrounding territory, they named the city and land 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



97 



of Helam. Now that they were established as a separate 
people, independent of both Lamanite and Nephite 
princes, they desired a form of government, and 
requested Alma to be their king. This honor he 
declined. He rehearsed to them the history of their 
fathers; he pictured to them the infamies of king 
Noah's reign; he shewed them how a wicked ruler 
could lead his subjects into all manner of evil, and 
how such things led to bondage; and, on the other 




THE LAND OF HELAM. 



hand, how much better it was to have the Lord as their 
king and ruler, and to be guided by his servants .under 
his inspiration. This counsel the people wisely 
accepted. Alma, though not bearing the title of king, 
acted as their leader, as their high priest and prophet, 
and as the mouthpiece of Heaven whenever God's holy 
word was graciously given them. In this happy 
state the people of Helam continued for some years, 



9 8 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the Lord greatly prospering them and crowning their 
labors with abundant increase. Nevertheless, the Lord 
saw fit to chasten this devoted people, and to try their 
patience and their faith, of which trial and its results 
we shall have more to say as we proceed with our 
story. 

We must now leave Alma and his people for a 
time and return to king Noah. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

XING NOAH'S SUBJECTS REBEL, — GIDEON — THE LAMANITES 
INVADE LEHI-NEPHI — THE NEPHITES RETREAT— A PART 
SURRENDER— THE NEW TERMS OF PEACE— NOAH IS 
BURNED TO DEATH — LIMH1 MADE KING— NOAH'S PRIESTS 
ESCAPE — THEY SEIZE SOME LAMANITE MAIDENS — 
ANOTHER WAR — THE NEPHITES VICTORIOUS— THE 
KING OF THE LAMANITES WOUNDED — MUTUAL EXPLA- 
NATIONS. 

COON AFTER the return of Noah's army from their 
unsuccessful attempt to capture Alma and his peo- 
ple, a great division grew up amongst that monarch's 
subjects. They were heartily tired of his tyranny and 
his debaucheries. One of those most dissatisfied was 
an officer of the king's army named Gideon. We have 
no reason to believe that he was at that time a wicked 
man though he did rebel against the king, but rather 
that he was a good, pure and wise man, for in after life 
he proved that he possessed all these virtues. In the 
disturbances that now arose between Noah and his peo- 
ple Gideon sought to slay the king. But Noah fled to 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



99 



the tower near the temple. Thither Gideon, sword in 
hand, quickly followed. The king mounted to the 
top, and there his eye accidentally canght sight of an 
army of Lamanites in the land of Shemlon. In the 
terror cansed by this unexpected sight, he appealed to 
Gideon's patriotism and besought him to spare him. Not 
that the king cared for his people, but he made this 
excuse for pleading for his own life. Gideon consented, 
and Noah in mortal terror ordered his people to flee into 
the wilderness from before the advancing hosts of the 
Lamanites. 

The people obeyed their king's command, and with 
their wives and children fled into the wilderness. But 
the forces of the Lamanites, unencumbered with women 
and children, soon overtook them. Then the coward 
king commanded the men to continue their flight and 
leave their wives and children to the mercy of their 
enemy. Some obeyed and fled, others would not, but 
preferred to stay and perish with those to whom they 
were the natural protectors. Those who stayed, in the 
agony of their terror when the Lamanites drew near, 
sent their fair daughters to plead with their enemies 
for their lives. This acT: saved them. For the dark 
warriors of Laman were so charmed with the beauty of 
the women that they spared all their lives. Yet they 
took them captives, carred them back to Lehi-Nephi, 
and gave them permission to retain that land, but under 
some very hard conditions. These conditions were that 
they should surrender king Noah into the hands of 
the Lamanites, and deliver up one half of everything 
they possessed, and continue this tribute of one half of 
their property year by year. 

Gideon now sent men to search for Noah that he 



IOO STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



might be delivered up to the Lamanites. They found 
that the men who were with Noah, being ashamed of 
their cowardly flight, swore that the}^ would return; 
and, if their wives and children, and the men who 
remained with them, had been killed, they would have 
revenge. The king commanded that they should not 
return, for which they were angry with him, and 
burned him to death as he had done Abinadi. His 
priests were saved from a like fate by flight. When 
the men who put Noah to death were about to return 
to the land of Nephi, they met Gideon and his party, 
and informed them of the end of Noah and the escape 
of the priests; and when they heard the news that 
Gideon brought, they also rejoiced much that their 
wives and children had been spared by the Lamanites. 

Noah being dead, one of his sons, Limhi by name, 
was made king. It was almost an empty honor, for his 
people were in bondage to the Lamanites. Still he 
made a treaty of peace with the king of the Lamanites, 
and because he could do no better he agreed to pay a 
yearly tribute of one half of their increase. To prevent 
the escape of the Nephites, guards were set all round 
the land, for the Lamanites were now most anxious 
that the Nephites should not escape. They were to 
all intents and purposes bond-servants, and the Laman- 
ites obtained all the advantages of their labor with- 
out any of the responsibilities that generally fall upon 
the slave owner. Out of the tribute the guards that 
held them in bondage were paid. This state of things 
continued without an outbreak for two years. 

In these times there was a romantic spot in the 
land of Shemlon, on the Nephite borders, where the 
Lamanitish maidens were in the habit of gathering on 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. IOI 



pleasure bent. Here they sang, danced and made 
merry with all the gaiety of youthful innocence and 
overflowing spirits. One day when a few were thus 
gathered they were suddenly surprised, and twenty- 
four of their number were carried off by strange 
men, who, from their appearance, were unmistakably 
Nephites. 

On learning of this act of treachery the Laman- 
ites were stirred to uncontrolable anger, and without 
seeking an explanation they made a sudden incursion 
into the territory held by king Limhi. This attack, 
however, was not successful, for their movements, 
though not understood, had been discovered, and their 
intended victims poured forth to meet them. 

With Limhi and his people it was a war for exist- 
ence ; to be defeated was to be annihilated ; his warriors 
therefore fought with superhuman energy and despera- 
tion, and eventually they succeeded in driving the 
Lamanites back. So speedy did the flight become, that 
in their confusion the Lamanites left their wounded 
king lying amongst the heaps of slain. There he was 
discovered by the victors. In the interview between 
him and [Limhi that followed, mutual explanations 
ensued. The Lamanite king complained bitterly of 
the outrage committed on the daughters of his people 
whilst Limhi protested that he and his subjects were 
innocent of the base act. Further investigation devel- 
oped the fact that some of the iniquitous priests of king 
Noah, who had fled into the wilderness from the dreaded 
vengeance of their abused countrymen, were the guilty 
parties. Being without wives, and fearing to return 
home, they had adopted this plan to obtain them. 

On hearing this explanation, king Laman con- 

7 



102 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

sented to make an effort to pacify his angry hosts. At 
the head of an unarmed body of Nephites he went forth 
and met his armies who were returning to the attack. 
He explained what he had learned, and the Lamanites, 
possibly somewhat ashamed of their rashness, renewed 
the covenant of peace. 

This peace, unfortunately, was of short duration. 
The Lamanites grew arrogant and grievously oppres- 
sive, and under their exactions and cruelty the condi- 
tion of Limhi's subjects grew continually worse, until 
they were little better off than were their ancestors 
in Egypt before Moses their deliverer arose. Three 
times they broke out in ineffectual rebellion, and just 
as often their task-masters grew more cruel and exact- 
ing, until their spirits were entirely broken ; they cow- 
ered before their oppressors, and bowed "to the yoke of 
bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be 
driven to and fro, and burdened according to the desires 
of their enemies." 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE BONDAGE OF THE PEOPLE OF LFMHI— AN EXPEDITION 
NORTH — FINDING OF THE JAREDITE RECORDS — THE 
ARRIVAL OF AMMON- THE PEOPLE OF LIMHI ESCAPE 
—THE PURSUIT— THE AMULONITES — THE PEOPLE OF 
ALMA— THEY ARE BROUGHT INTO BONDAGE— THEIR 
DELIVERANCE. 



Lamanites so that they began to ease the burdens 
of their slaves, but he did not deliver the Nephites out of 
bondage at once. They, however, gradually prospered, 
and raised more grain, flocks and herds, so that they 
did not suffer with hunger. 

The people of Limhi kept together as much as 
possible for protection. Even the king did not trust 
himself outside the walls of the city without his guards, 
lest he might fall into the hands of the Lamanites. 

In this sad condition of bondage and serfdom the 
people of Limhi had one hope. It was to communicate 
with their Nephite friends in the land of Zarahemla. 
To this end Limhi secretly fitted out an expedition 
consisting of a small number of men. This company 
became lost in the wilderness, and traveled a long dis- 
tance northward until they found a land covered with 
the dry bones of men who appeared to have fallen in 




A TIME the Lord softened the hearts of the 



L04 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



battle. Limhi's people thought this must be the laud 
of Zaralieiula aud that their Xephite brethren who 
dwelt there had beeu destroyed. But in this they were 
wrong, for the}' found with the dead some records 
engraved on plates of ore, which, when afterwards 
translated by the power of God, shewed that these 
bones were those of some of the Jaredites who had been 
slain in war. 

The}' missed the land of Zarahemla, having proba- 
bly traveled to the west of it and passed northward 
through the Isthmus of Panama. 

Shortly after this a small company numbering 
sixteen men reached them from Zarahemla. Their 
leader's name was Ammon. He had been sent by king 
Mosiah to the land of Xephi to find out what had 
become of the people or their descendants who left 
with Zeniff. When Ammon and those that were with 
him reached Lehi-Xephi, king Limhi happened to be 
without the walls of the city, and his guards fancying 
that Ammon and his friends were some of the priests 
of Xoah took them and put them in prison. The next 
day the mistake was discovered, and Limhi and his peo- 
ple were overjoyed to hear from their friends. Soon 
plans were laid to effect the escape of the enslaved 
Xephites, which, under the guidance of Limhi, Ammon 
and Gideon, was successfully accomplished. The 
Lamanite guards were made drowsy with a large present 
of wine, and while they were in this drunken stupor, the 
people of Limhi escaped through an unfrequented 
pass, taking with them such things as they could 
safely carry away. They were then led by Ammon to 
Zarahemla. 

When the Lamanites found, to their great surprise, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. IOJ 

that their bond servants had escaped, they sent an army 
after them. It so happened that this corps lost them- 
selves in the wilderness. Whilst traveling hither and 
thither, not knowing which way to go, they came across 
the priests of king Noah, who had fled from the face of 
their fellows to escape the jnst indignation their contin- 
ued iniquities had aroused. These priests, at the insti- 
gation of Amulon, their leader, joined the Lamanite 
troops, and unitedly endeavored to get back to the land 
of Nephi. Whilst thus engaged, they wandered near 
the city of Helam. 

When the people of Alma first perceived the 
approach of this body of men, they were engaged 
tilling the soil around their city, into which they imme- 
diately fled in great fear. In this perilous hour the 
faith and courage of Alma were conspicuous. He 
gathered his people around him, called upon them to 
cast aside their unsaintly fears, and to remember the 
God who had ever delivered those who trusted in him. 
The words of their leader had the desired effect ; the peo- 
ple silenced their fears and called mightily upon the 
Lord to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they 
might spare their lives and those of their wives and little 
ones. Then, with the assurance in their hearts that 
God would hearken unto their prayers, Alma and his 
brethren went forth out of their city and delivered 
themselves up to their former foes. 

The Lamanites were in a dilemma, therefore they 
were profuse in promises. They were willing to grant 
the people of Helam their lives and liberty if they 
would show them the way to the land of Nephi. Hav- 
ing obtained this information and reached home in 
safety,. they broke their promises and made Amulon 



108 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

the king over a wide district of country, including the 
land of Helarn. 

Alma and Amulon had known each other in the 
days when they both belonged to king Noah's priest- 
hood, and with the venom so often conspicuous in 
apostates, the latter soon commenced to persecute those 
who were faithful to the Lord. He placed task-masters 
over them, imposed inhuman burdens upon them, 
and otherwise afflicted them grievously. 

In their agony they called continually upon the - 
Lord for deliverance. Their prayers annoyed their 
cruel masters and they were forbidden to pray aloud; 
but no tyrants, however powerful or cruel, could prevent 
them praying in their hearts. This the people of Alma 
continued to do most fervently, and in due time, though 
not immediately, deliverance came. In the meanwhile 
the Lord comforted and strengthened them in their 
afflictions, so that their burdens were easily borne. 

The time of their deliverance finally came, for on 
a certain day the Lord promised them that he would 
deliver them on the morrow. The night was occupied 
in getting their flocks and provisions together, and pre- 
paring for their journey. In the morning, when their 
Lamanite guards and taskmasters were in a deep sleep, 
they set out on their journey into the wilderness. 
After traveling all day they pitched their tents in a 
valley which they named Alma. The Lord warned 
Alma to hasten out of this country, for the Lamanites 
were in pursuit, but he said he would stop them in the 
valley where Alma was then camped. Alma and his 
company traveled yet twelve days, at the end of which 
time they arrived in Zarahemla. This, with the eight 
days occupied in traveling from the waters of Mormon 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 09 

to the land of Helam, makes twenty days' travel from 
Lehi-Nephi to Zarahemla. 

To prevent confusion in the minds of our readers 
we desire to draw attention to the fact that the city of 
Lehi-Nephi and the city of Nephi are not two separate 
cities, but one and the same city with two names. 

Amulon and the priests of Noah, possibly because 
of their Lamanitish wives, soon gained great favor 
with king Laman and were made teachers to his peo- 
ple. Educated in the language of the Nephites, they 
began to instruct the Lamanites therein. 

They taught the people nothing of the religion of 
their fathers, or of the law of Moses, but instructed 
them how to keep their records, and to write one to 
another. All this time king Laman ruled over a numer- 
ous people, inhabiting distant regions, governed by 
tributar}^ kings and rulers. Having no written stand- 
ard, the language of the Lamanites had become greatly 
corrupted. The coming of the priests of Noah among 
them gave rise to the introduction of a higher civiliza- 
tion. As a result, they increased in wealth, and trade 
and commerce extended among them. They became 
cunning and wise, and therefore powerful, but were still 
addicted to robbery and plunder, except among them- 
selves. 



CHAPTER XV. 



MOSIAH'S GOOD REIGN — THF CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS 
ADVENT — HE ASSEMBLES THE PEOPLE — THE BAPTISM 
OF LIMHI— CHURCHES ORGANIZED THROUGHOUT THE 



E MUST now leave the Lamanites in the land of 



Nephi, and return to king Mosiah in Zarahemla. 
It will be remembered that we left the people of 
Zarahemla at the death of king Benjamin, and the 
ascent of his son Mosiah to the throne. 

Mosiah was born in the land of Zarahemla, 154 or 
155 years before the coming of Christ. He was in- 
structed in all the wisdom of the Nephites, and trained 
up in }^outh in the fear of the Lord. B} T the direction 
of the Almighty he was consecrated by his father to 
succeed him on the throne, which ceremony was attended 
to at the time the whole nation had gathered at the tem- 
ple to listen to the words of their aged and beloved 
ruler; at the same time the} r all covenanted with God 
to be his servants ever after. There, in the presence of 
his future subjects, under the shadow of the holy house, 
he was set apart to rule a people whose sins were all 
forgiven through their abiding faith in the unborn 
Savior. Could a king come to a throne under more 
auspicious circumstances? Profound peace with all 
outside his dominions, and within its borders reigned 
union, contentment, prosperity, happiness, and what is 
more, righteousness. 

Mosiah was thirty years old when he began to 
reign, which event happened 476 years after Lehi left 
Jerusalem. 



LAND. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Ill 



Mosiah followed in the footsteps of his father, 
taught his people to be industrious, and set them the 
example by tilling a portion of the earth to maintain 
himself and his dependents. 

It was in the fourth year of his reign that Mosiah 
sent out the expedition under Amnion to find the people 
of Zeniff. Of its success, and the happy advent of 
Limhi and his people, and of Alma and his people, Ave 
have already spoken. 

Soon after the arrival of Limhi and Alma, Mosiah 
gathered all the Nephites to one place that they might 
hear how God had dealt with both. First he had the 
records of Zeniff and Alma read in their hearing, at 
which they were greatly amazed ; but when they beheld 
the new comers they were filled with exceeding great 
joy, mingled with sadness for the loss of their kindred 
slain by the inhuman Lamanites, and many tears were 
shed for those departed ones. Again, when they 
listened to the marvelous deliverances wrought by 
heaven in behalf of Alma and his faithful few, the 
assembled thousands raised their Alices on high and 
gave thanks to God. Still another shade of feeling 
came across their sympathetic hearts, e\en of pain and 
anguish for the sinful and polluted state of their Laman- 
ite brethren, Avhen their condition A\^as explained to 
them. 

Taking advantage of the presence of so many 
of his subjects, Mosiah addressed them on such matters 
as he deemed necessary and desirable. At his request 
Alma also taught them. When assembled in large 
bodies Alma went from one multitude to another, 
preaching repentance and faith in the Lord. After 
hearing his teachings Limhi requested to be baptized. 



112 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and so did all his people. Then Alma baptized them 
in the same manner as he had their brethren. He 
afterwards, by Mosiah's direction, went through the 
land, organizing and establishing churches and ordain- 
ing priests and teachers over every church. Thus 
were seven churches established at this time in the 
land of Zarahemla. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE UNBELIEF OF THE YOUTH OF ZARAHEMLA — THE 
YOUNGER ALMA AND THE SONS OF MOSIAH— THEY 
ENCOURAGE THE PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE CHURCH 
— THEY ARE MET BY AN ANGEL — HIS MESSAGE— AL- 
MA'S AWFUL CONDITION— HIS VISION AND TESTIMONY— 
THE CHANGED LIFE OF THE YOUNG MEN. 

J^N THE course of years many of the rising genera- 
tion gave no heed to the word of God. These were 
mostly such as were too } T oung to enter into covenant 
with the Lord at the time that king Benjamin anointed 
Mosiah to be his successor. Not only did they them- 
selves reject the doctrines of the atonement, the resur- 
rection and other gospel principles, but they led away 
many of the members of the church into darkness and 
iniquity, and abused, reviled and persecuted those who 
remained faithful to the cause of Christ. Neither the 
fear of the civil nor of the divine law restrained them. 
Their course, and that of those in the church who gave 
way to evil doing, gave much trouble, and caused deep 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 115 

anxiety to Mosiah and Alma, the latter now the High 
Priest of the whole church. When sought in prayer, 
the Lord directed what action should be taken with 
transgressors in the church, and after due consultation 
with his priests, with Alma and others, Mosiah issued 
a proclamation of equality to his people, forbidding all 
his subjects to persecute, vex or abuse their fellows 
because of their faith or religion, and announcing that 
in matters of conscience all men were equal before the 
law, and all were the subjects of his protection. Still it 
required a greater than an earthly king to bring to 
naught the evil intents of the disbelievers, who were 
greatly encouraged in their misdeeds by the fact that 
the king's four sons and one of the sons of Alma were 
their leaders. 

Frequent and fervent were the prayers offered by 
Mosiah and the elder Alma in behalf of their rebellious 
sons, and those prayers prevailed with him who sits on 
heaven's eternal throne. 

One day, as Alma and his company were going 
about persecuting the members of the church, an holy 
angel descended in a cloud and stopped them in the way. 
When he spoke his voice was as thunder, that caused 
the whole earth to tremble beneath their feet. Naturally 
this manifestation of the power of God spread terror 
and dismay in the hearts of those who witnessed it. 
They fell to the ground, and so confused and terrified 
were they that they failed to understand the words of 
the holy messenger. Arise, Alma, and stand forth, 
he cried; and when Alma arose, his eyes were opened 
to see who stood before him. Why persecutest thou 
the Church of God? he was asked, for the Lord hath 
said, This is my Church, and I will establish it; and 



Il6 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression 
of my people. If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, 
seek no more to destroy the Church of God. Besides 
this, the angel spoke to him of his father's prayers in 
his behalf, and that because of those prayers, he told 
him, he was sent to convince him of the power of God. 
He also recounted to Alma the captivity of his fathers 
in the lands of Helam and Nephi, and of their miracu- 
lous deliverance therefrom. But Alma heard none of 
these latter sayings, for the terrors of the first saluta- 
tion had overpowered him. 

When the angel departed Alma was overcome 
and, dismayed and soul-stricken, he sank to the ground. 
When his companions gathered around him, they found 
he could not move, neither could he speak. Outwardly 
he was dead to the world; but the torments of the 
damned had taken hold of his soul, and in the most 
bitter pain and mental anguish he la}' racked with the 
remembrance of all his past sins. The thought of 
standing before the bar of God to be judged for his ini- 
quities overwhelmed him with horror. He desired 
to become extinct both body and soul without being 
brought before his Creator. Thus he continued for 
three days and three nights to suffer the pains of hell, 
which, to his racked conscience, must have seemed an 
eternity. 

When his companions found that he could neither 
speak nor move, they carried him to his father, and 
related to him all that had happened. Strange as it must 
have seemed to them, the elder Alma's heart was filled 
with joy and praise when he looked upon the body of 
his much-loved son, for he realized it was God's power 
that had wrought all this, and that his long-continued 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. II J 



prayers had been answered. In his joy he gathered 
the people to witness this mighty manifestation of the 
goodness and power of Jehovah. He assembled the 
priests, songht their co-operation, and unitedly, in God's 
own way, they prayed and fasted for the stricken youth. 
For two days they continued their cries to heaven, at 
the end of which time Alma stood upon his feet and 
spoke. He comforted them by declaring, I have repented 
of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord, 
behold I am born of the Spirit. 

In later years Alma, in relating to his son Heleman 
the details of his conversion, thus describes the causes 
that led him to bear this testimony. He says : Behold, 
I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy 
unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus 
Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. 
Now as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I 
cried within my heart, O Jesus, thou Son of God, have 
mercy on me, who art in the gall of bitterness and art 
encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. 
And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remem- 
ber my pains no more ; yea, I was harrowed up by the 
memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and 
what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was 
filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain; yea, I 
say unto you my • son, there could be nothing so 
exquisite and so bitter as my pain. Yea, and again I 
say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can 
be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy; yea, 
methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God 
sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless 
concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and 
praising their God; yea, my soul did long to be there. 



Il8 . STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

From that time to the end of his mortal career, 
Alma labored without ceasing to bring souls to Christ, 
and to guide his fellow man in the paths of salvation. 

What effedt had this heavenly visit upon the sons 
of Mosiah ? A very great one. From that moment they 
were changed men. As the voice of the angel reached 
their astonished ears, the essence of divinity entered 
their souls, they knew, they felt, they realized there was 
a God and that they had been fighting against him. 
The sense of their own utter unworthiness filled their 
hearts; remorse and anguish reigned s'upreme therein, 
and they condemned themselves as the vilest of sinners. 
By and by the bitterness of their remorse was swallowed 
up in their faith in the coming of Christ, and they 
determined by God's help, to their utmost strength, to 
undo the evil that their previous course had wrought. 
These resolutions they faithfully carried out. if they 
had been energetic in their wrong-doing they were yet 
more active in their works of restitution. They jour- 
neyed from city to city, from land to land, and every- 
where bore triumphant testimony of the incidents of 
their miraculous conversion, and in no equivocal tones 
proclaimed the glorious gospel message of love to God, 
salvation to mankind. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE GROWTH OF THE PEOPLE IN ZARAHEMLA— THEY BUILD 
MANY CITIES — MOSIAH'S SONS DESIRE TO TAKE A MIS- 
SION TO THE LAMANITES — MOSIAH INQUIRES OF THE 
LORD— THE DIVINE ANSWER. 

^pHE INHABITANTS of Zarahemla at this time 
were all considered Nephites, though the descend- 
ants of Mulek and his companions were the most 
numerous. But the Nephites, though the last comers 
to Zarahemla, were the governing race, and the kingdom 
had been conferred upon none but those who were the 
descendants of Nephi. The Nephites ruled by the 
right of their higher civilization, the possession of the 
records and the authority of the holy priesthood. 
There is another strange fact with regard to the inhab- 
itants of South America at this time, it is that the Lain- 
anites were twice as numerous as the combined people 
of Nephi and Zarahemla. This may have been owing 
to the fact that when any defection occurred among the 
Nephites, the dissatisfied portions of the community 
generally went over to the Lamanites and became ab- 
sorbed in that race. 

In these days there was much peace in the land 
of Zarahemla. The Lord blessed the people and 
they became very numerous, contented and wealthy. 
When Benjamin was king his people appear to have 
all resided in and immediately around the city of Zara- 
hemla, as the king directed his son to gather them at 
the temple on the morrow, and on the morrow they 
were all there, which would have been impossible had 
they lived at any great distance from headquarters. 

8 



120 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



We judge that at that time the majority inhabited the 
city and farmed the land around. Up to this time no 
other city than Zarahemla is mentioned in that land, 
but now the people began to spread abroad, building, 
as the historian states, large cities and villages in all 
quarters of the land. We may reasonably suppose 
that at this epoch were founded the cities of Aaron, 
Ammonihah, Gideon, Manti, Melek and others men- 
tioned in the annals of the succeeding twenty years. 

Notwithstanding the great good they had done, the 
sons of king Mosiah were not content to confine their 
labors to the land of Zarahemla. They longed to carry 
the glad tidings of salvation to the benighted Laman- 
ites. Ignoring the dangers and despising the pains of 
such a mission, they plead with their father many days 
for his consent for them to go to the land of Nephi. 
The bloodthirsty, revengeful character of the Laman- 
ites was too well known to the king for him to think of 
his sons going into their midst without causing him 
feelings of dread and apprehension, but he had no 
desire to quench their holy zeal towards God and their 
love towards their unfortunate fellows, lest he should 
sin by so doing, and rob thousands of the opportu- 
nity of hearing the everlasting trnths through obe- 
dience to which mankind is saved. He therefore 
inquired of the Lord. The answer came, Let them 
go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they 
shall have eternal life, and I will deliver thy sons out 
of the hands of the Lamanites. With this divine 
assurance Mosiah consented, and shortly after, with 
some other missionaries, whom they had chosen, these 
four valiant God-fearing youths started on their perilous 
mission. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



MOSIAH'S SONS REFUSE THE KINGDOM — HE GRANTS THE 
PEOPLE A CONSTITUTION — THE PEOPLE TO ELECT 
THEIR RULERS— ALMA, THE YOUNGER, FIRST CHIEF 
JUDGE. . 

J^/JOSIAH now felt that it was time that the question 
of the succession to the throne should be settled. 
In his magnanimity he sent among the people to learn 
whom they would have for their king. The people 
chose his son Aaron, but Aaron would not accept the 
royal power; his heart was set upon the conversion of 
his fellowmen to the knowledge of the gospel. This 
refusal troubled the mind of Mosiah; he apprehended 
difficulties if Aaron at some future time should change 
his mind and demand his rights. Mosiah therefore 
issued another address to his much loved subjects, as 
usual full of the spirit of divine wisdom and love. In 
it, after recounting the peculiarities of the situation, he 
says: Let us be wise and consider these things, for we 
have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have 
a right to destroy another, if he should be appointed in 
his stead. And if my son should turn again to his 
pride and vain things, he would recall the things which 
he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which 
would cause him and also this people to commit much 
sin. * * * Therefore, I will be your king the remain- 
der of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to 
judge this people according to our law, and we will 



122 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



newly arrange the affairs of this people; for we will 
appoint wise men to be judges that will judge this peo- 
ple according to the commandments of God. 

Inspired and directed by the Lord, the king further 
advised many changes of the law, so that all things 
might be done by the voice of the whole people. These 
changes were gladly accepted by the people, as they 
gave them greater liberty and a voice in all important 
national affairs. As a law-maker Mosiah may be 
ranked among the most eminent this world has pro- 
duced. We regard him in some respects as the Moses, 
in others the Alfred the Great, of his age and nation. 
But besides being a king he was also a seer. The gift 
of interpreting strange tongues and languages was his. 
By this gift he translated from the twenty-four 
plates of gold, found by the people of king Limhi, the 
records of the Jaredites. No wonder that a man pos- 
sessed of such gifts, so just and merciful in the admin- 
istration of the law, so perfect in his private life, should 
be esteemed more than any man by his subjects, and 
that they waxed strong in their love towards him. As 
a king, he was a father to them, but as a prophet, seer 
and revelator he was the source from whence divine 
wisdom flowed unto them. We must go back to the 
days of the antediluvian patriarchs to find the peers of 
these three kings (the two Mosiahs and Benjamin), 
when monarchs ruled by right divine, and men were 
prophets, priests and kings by virtue of heaven's gifts 
and God's will. 

His sons having started on their mission to the 
Lamanites, Mosiah chose Alma, the younger, and gave 
the sacred plates and the associate holy things into his 
care. The elder Alma made this same son the pre- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



123 



siding High Priest of the church, and the people 
chose him for their first chief judge. The church, 
the records, the nation, all being thus provided for, 
Mosiah passed away to the joys of eternity. He was 
sixty-three years old, and he had ruled his people in 
righteousness thirty-three years. When he passed 
away no fierce convulsions wrecked the ship of state, 
the political atmosphere was calm, the people joyfully 
assumed their new responsibilities, and the first of the 
judges succeeded the last of the kings without causing 
one disturbing wave on the placid waters of the national 
life. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE MISSION OF THE SONS OF MOSIAH TO THE LAMAN- 
ITES — THEIR JOURNEY IN THE WILDERNESS — AMMON 
BROUGHT BEFORE KING LAMONI — THE CONFLICT AT 
THE WATERS OF SEBUS— THE MIRACULOUS CONVER- 
SION OF LAMONI AND HIS FAMILY— ABISH THE WAIT- 
ING WOMAN. 

"gEFORE we take up the history of the Nephites, 
during the reigns of their judges, we will follow 
the sons of Mosiah and their brethren to the land of 
Nephi, on the perilous mission that they had under- 
taken, to convert the Lamanites. The names of the 
four sons of Mosiah were Aaron, Amnion, Omner and 
Himni; amongst their companions were Muloki and 
Amman. 

These all took their journey into the southern 
wilderness during the last year of Mosiah's reign, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 25 

or B. C. 91. They carried with them their bows and 
arrows and other weapons, not to wage war but to kill 
game for their food in the wilderness. Their jonrney 
was a tedious one ; they lost their way and almost lost 
heart, and indeed were on the point of returning when 
they received divine assurance of their ultimate suc- 
cess. Nerved by this assurance, and with much fast- 
ing and prayer, they continued their wanderings, and 
before long reached the borders of the Lamanites. 
Commending themselves to God they here separated, 
each one trusting to the Lord to guide them to the 
places where he could best accomplish the purposes of 
heaven. 

Ammon entered the Lamanite territory at a land 
called Ishmael. Here Lamoni was the chief ruler, 
under his father, who was king of all the Lamanites. 
Ammon was no sooner discovered than he was taken, 
bound with cords and conducted into the presence of 
Lamoni. It was the custom of the Lamanites to so use 
every Nephite they captured, and it rested with the 
whim of the king whether the captive be slain, impris- 
oned or sent out of the country. The king's will and 
pleasure were the only law on such matters. 

Through God's grace, Ammon found favor in the 
eyes of Lamoni, and, learning that it was his desire to 
reside amongst the Lamanites, the king offered him 
one of his daughters to wife. Amnion courteously 
declined this intended honor and begged to be accepted 
as one of the king's servants, which arrangement 
pleased Lamoni, and Ammon was placed in that part of 
the royal household that had charge of the monarch's 
flocks and herds. 

A glance at Lamanite society may not here be out 



126 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of place. It would appear that in Lamoni's days the 
will of the sovereign was the law of the land. The 
king's power over the lives and property of his subjects 
was unlimited. We read of no constitutions that pre- 
scribed or limited his authority. The more degraded 
portions of the race wandered in the vast wilderness, 
dwelling in tents, and subsisting on what they stole or 
killed in the chase. The more civilized Lamanites 
resided in cities, were wealthy in cattle, and followed the 
occuptions general among semi-civilized races. 

Lamoni was rich in flocks and herds, probably 
the results of the taxation of the people, but even the 
king's property was not secure from theft. Marauding 
bands would watch for his numerous cattle as they 
approached their watering places. Then with j yell 
and prolonged shout they would stampede the herds 
and drive away all they could beyond the reach of 
the king's servants. These would gather up what 
few animals, if any, they found, and return to the king 
in the full expectancy of being made to pay for the loss 
by the forfeit of their lives. They were seldom disap- 
pointed, for Lamoni or some of his predecessors had 
estabished a somewhat unique criminal code with 
regard to stealing the royal cattle. They had adopted 
the idea that it was easier and cheaper to make the 
herdsmen responsible for the losses and punish them 
therefor, than to hunt out and capture the thieves. 
It had at least one virtue, it prevented collusion between 
the robbers and the servants; but it produced much 
dissatisfaction among Lamoni's subjects. 

On the third day of Amnion's service, one of 
these raids was made on the king's cattle as they were 
being taken to the waters of Sebus, the common water- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 12 J 

ing place. The cattle fled in all directions, and the 
dispirited servants, with the fear of death before their 
eyes, sat down and wept instead of attempting to stop 
them. Amnion perceived that this was his opportunity. 
He first reasoned with the servants, then encouraged 
them, and having sufficiently aroused their feelings, he 
led them in the attempt to head off the flying herds. 
With much exertion they succeeded. The cattle were 
all gathered, but the robbers still waited at the water- 
ing place to renew the attack when they drew near 
enough. Ammon perceiving this, placed the servants 
at various points on the outside of the flocks and him- 
self went forward to contend with the robbers. Though 
they were many, he knew that he was more powerful 
than them all, for God was with him. The idea of one 
man withstanding so many was supremely ridiculous 
to the robbers. But as one after another fell before his 
unerring aim, they were astonished, and dreaded him 
as something more than human. Enraged at the loss 
of six of their number they rushed upon him in a body, 
determined to crush him with their clubs. Ammon, 
undaunted, drew his sword and awaited the onslaught. 
Their leader fell dead at his feet, and as one after 
another raised their clubs, Ammon struck off their 
arms until none dared to approach him, but instead re- 
treated afar off. 

It was a strange procession that returned to the 
palace. The fears of the herdsmen had been turned to 
joy, and they marched in triumph into the presence of 
the king, with the arms of the robbers as testimonies of 
the truth of the story of Amnion's prowess. Doubt- 
less they did not diminish the telling points in the 
narrative; the numbers of the band, the courage and 



128 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MOIOIOX. 



strength of the Nephite, were each dilated npon with 
the vividness of snperstitions imagination. When the 
king had heard their marvelous storv his hear: vras 
troubled, and he came to the conclnsion that Amnion 
must be the Great Spirit, of whose existence hie had 
an undefined idea. He trembled at the thought thai 
perhaps this Spirit had come to punish him because of 
the number of his servants whom he had slain for rer- 
niitting his cattle to be stolen. 

Notwithstanding his misgivings. Lamoni desired 
to see Amnion, who, a cling as though nothing par- 
ticular had happened, was preparing the king's horses 
and chariots, as the servants had been directed. When 
he entered the royal presence, the king was too much 
filled with emotion to speak to him. More than once 
Amnion drew to the king's attention that he stood 
before him, as he had been requested, and wished to 
know what were his commands. But lie elicited 
no response. At last, perceiving the monarch's 
thoughts, he began to question Lamoni regarding 
sacred things, and afterwards to expound to him the 
principles of life and salvation. Lamoni listened and 
believed. He was conscience-stricken, and with all the 
strength of his new-born faith, he humbly begged that 
the Lord would shew that same mercy to him and to 
his people that he had shewn to the Xephites. Over- 
come with the intensity of his feelings he sank to the 
earth as in a trance. In this state he was carried to 
his wife, who with her children anxiously watched 
over him for two days and two nights, awaiting his 
return to consciousness. There was great diversity 
of opinion among his retainers as to what troubled the 
king. Some said the power of the Great Spirit was 



t 

STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



129 



upon him, others that an evil power possessed him, yet 
others asserted that he was dead, and with remarkable 
acuteness of smell affirmed, He sunketh. At the end of 
this time they had resolved to lay him away in the 
sepulchre, when the queen sent for Ammon and plead 
with him in her husband's behalf. Ammon gave her 
the joyful assurance. He is not dead, but sleepeth in 
God, and to-morroAv he shall rise again. Then he 
added, Believest thou this? She answered, I have no 
witness, save thy word and the word of our servants, 
nevertheless I believe it shall be according as thou hast 
said. Then Ammon blessed her, and told her there 
had not been such great faith among all the people of 
the Xephites. 

So the queen lovingly continued her watch by the 
bed of her husband until the appointed hour. Lamoni 
then arose, as Ammon had foretold. His soul was filled 
with heavenly joy. His first words were of praise to 
God, his next were blessings on his faithful wife Avhose 
faith he felt or knew. He testified to the coming of 
the Redeemer, of whose greatness, glory, pOAver and 
mercy he had learned AA'hile in the spirit. His body 
was too weak for the realities of eternity that filled his 
heart. Again he sank OA^erpOAvered to the earth, and 
the same spirit OA'ercame his AA-ife also. Amnion's 
rejoicing heart SAvelled Avithin him as he heard and wit- 
nessed these things. He fell on his knees and poured 
out his soul in praise and thanksgiAung until he also 
could not contain the brightness of the glory, the com- 
pleteness of the joy that overAvhelmed him. Uncon- 
scious of all earthly things he sank beside the royal pair. 
The same spirit of unmeasured joy then fell upon all 
present and Avith the same results. There Avas but 



130 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

one exception, a Lamanitish waiting woman named 
Abish, who many years before bad been converted 
to tbe Lord, bnt kept the secret in her own bosom. 
She comprehended the why and wherefore of this 
strange scene. She saw the workings of the Almighty 
through which the untutored minds of the Lamanites 
could be brought to an understanding of the plan of 
salvation. From house to house she went, calling the 
people to witness what had occurred in the palace. They 
gathered at her call, but as might naturally be expected 
their impressions were very conflicting. Some said one 
thing, some another; some argued for good, some for 
evil; to some, Amnion was a god, to others, a demon. 
One man, who had had a brother slain at the waters of 
Sebus, drew his sword and attempted to slay Amnion, 
but was struck dead by an unseen power before he 
could carry his rash intent into action. So fierce was 
the contention, so angy grew the controversy, that 
Abish, fearing greater trouble, by an inspiration took 
hold of the hand of the queen, who thereupon rose to 
her feet. The queen's first thought was of her husband. 
She took his hand and raised him up, and ere long all 
who had been reposing in the spirit stood upon their 
feet. The king, the queen, the servants, all rejoiced 
with joy unspeakable. They all bore testimony to 
God's abundant love and goodness, and some declared 
that holy angels had visited them. Still the contention 
was not entirely appeased until Lamoni stood forth 
and explained to them the divine mysteries of which 
they were so ignorant. Many believed, others did not, 
but Amnion had the indescribable happiness of shortly 
after establishing a church to the Lord in the midst of 
the people of the land of Ishmael. Amnion's humility, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



J 3I 



faith and patience were bringing forth their frnit ; while 
his sonl gathered faith and strength in the fulfilment 
of the promises of the great Jehovah in answer to the 
pleadings of his faithful, loving father. 



AMMON AND LAMONI START FOR THE LAND OF MIDDONI — 
THEY MEET THE OLD KING— HIS RAGE AT SEEING 
AMMON— HE ENDEAVORS TO KILL HIS SON— AARON AND 
HIS BRETHREN LIBERATED — A SKETCH OF THEIR 
LABORS AND SUFFERINGS — THE CONVERSION - OF 
LAMONI'S FATHER AND HIS HOUSEHOLD. 



the land of Ishmael, Lamoni arranged to pay a 
visit to his father, the great king in the land of Nephi, to 
whom he was desirous of introducing Amnion. How- 
ever, the voice of the Lord warned his servant not to go, 
but instead therof to proceed to the land of Middoni, 
where his brother Aaron and other missionaries were 
suffering in prison. When Lamoni heard of Amnion's 
intention, and the cause thereof, he decided to accom- 
pany him. He felt that he could be of service in 
delivering the prisoners, as Antiomno, the king of 
Middoni, was one of his special friends, and likely to 
grant any favor he might ask. They accordingly 
started on their errand of mercy, but on their way were 
surprised to meet Lamoni's father, who grew exceed- 
ingly angry when he found Amnion in the company of 



CHAPTER XX. 




the church 



was satisfactorily established in 



1 32 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



his son. All the hatred born and nurtured of false 
tradition boiled up in his breast. He listened impa- 
tiently to Lainoni's story of Amnion's visit and its 
fruits, and when it was finished he broke out in a tor- 
rent of abuse towards the Nephite "son of a liar," as 
he ungraciously styled him, and ordered Lamoni to 
slay him. Lamoni at once refused to become the mur- 
derer of his most loved friend, whereupon the old 
monarch, in the blind fury of his anger, turned upon 
his own son, and would have killed him if Ammon 
had not interposed. Little used to controversy, much 
less to direct opposition, the king was not softened by 
Ammon's interference. Savagely he turned upon him, 
hut youth, strength, dexterity, and above all the pro- 
tecting care of the Lord were with Ammon, and he 
struck the king's sword arm so heavy a blow that it 
fell useless at his side. Realizing he was now in the 
power of the man he had so foully abused, he made 
abundant promises, even to half his kingdom, if his 
life were spared. This boon Ammon immediately 
granted, asking only favors for Lamoni and his own 
imprisoned brethren. The king, unused to such gen- 
erosity and manly love, granted all his requests, and 
when he proceeded on his journey his mind was filled 
with reflections regarding Ammon's courage and great 
love for his son. He was also troubled in his heart 
concerning certain expressions of Ammon on doctrinal 
points, which opened up ideas that were entirely new 
to his mind. 

Lamoni and Ammon continued their journey to 
Middoni, where, by God's grace, they found favor in the 
eyes of king Antiomno, and by his commands the 
prisoners were released from the horrors and inhuman- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 133 

ities practised upon them. When Amnion met these 
faithful brethren, he was greatly grieved because of 
their naked, wounded, starved and wretched condition, 
but when they were delivered they enjoyed a season of 
grateful joy, thanksgiving and mutual congratulation. 
After this Amnion returned to the land of Ishmael to 
continue his labors. 

It appears that when Ammon and his brethren sep- 
arated on the borders of the Lamanites, Aaron took 
his journey towards a land called Jerusalem, which 
was situated near the waters of Mormon. Here the 
Lamanites, the people of Amulon and others, had built 
a great city to which they gave the name of Jerusalem. 
In this great city the people, many of whom were 
Nephite apostates, were very wicked. They would not 
listen to his teachings, so he left them and went to a 
village called Ani-Anti. There he found Muloki, 
Amman and others preaching the word. But their 
efforts were fruitless ; the people of this place would not 
receive the truth, therefore they left them and went 
over into the land Middoni. There they preached unto 
many though but few believed in their words. Before 
long the wicked raised a persecution, and some of the 
brethren were cast into prison, whilst others fled into the 
regions round about. In prison they were treated with 
great cruelty; they were bound with strong cords, which 
cut into their flesh; they were deprived of proper 
food, drink and clothing, and otherwise suffered name- 
less afflictions. There they remained until they were 
released through the intercession of Ammon and 
Lamoni. 

Some time after Aaron and his fellow prisoners 
were released, he, with some others, went to the land of 



134 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Nephi, or Lehi-Nephi, as it is sometimes called. They 
there presented themselves before the old king who 
was the father of Lamoni. When this monarch saw 
them he was greatly pleased, for his heart had been 
touched by the words and conduct of Amnion. At his 
request Aaron explained to him many things relating 
to the nature of God; for, though he recognized the 
power and might of the Great Spirit, he was altogether 
ignorant of things concerning the Deity. 

Aaron by degrees explained to him the principles 
of the everlasting gospel. He commenced with the 
creation of man, shewed how Adam fell that man might 
be, and how the plan of redemption through a Savior's 
sufferings was devised before the world was, and how 
man, by obedience to the gospel, would triumph over 
death, hell, and the grave. 

His words were gratefully received by the king, 
who besought Aaron to teach him how he might obtain 
this eternal life of which he spoke. Aaron instructed 
him to bow down before the Lord in prayer, and then 
in faith ask for the blessings he desired. 

The aged king did so. He prostrated himself on 
.the ground and cried mightily, saying, O God, Aaron 
hath told me there is a God ; and if there is a God, and 
if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto 
me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, 
and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at 
the last day. So great was his emotion, that when he 
had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. 

When the king thus fell his servants ran and told 
the queen what had happened. She at once came into 
the room where he lay, and seeing Aaron and his breth- 
ren standing by she became very angry, as she sup- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 35 

posed that they were the cause of the evil that had, in 
her estimation, befallen her husband. She, without 
hesitation, ordered the king's servants to take the 
brethren and slay them ; but they dared not, for they 
feared the power which was in Aaron. The queen 
was also afraid, but she seemed to think that the best 
way to get rid of the trouble was to destroy those who 
she fancied brought it. As the king's servants refused 
to obey her command, she ordered them to go out into 
the streets and call upon the people to come in and kill 
Aaron and his companions. 

When Aaron saw the temper of the queen, he feared 
lest the multitude, in the hardness of their hearts, 
would raise a great commotion, and be a cause of 
hindering the work of God, which had so auspiciously 
commenced with the king. Therefore he put forth his 
hand and raised the monarch from the earth, and at 
the same time said unto him, Stand. The king at once 
received his strength and stood upon his feet, at the 
sight of which the queen and her servants wondered 
greatly and were filled with fear. 

Then the king began to explain to them what he 
had learned with regard to God and the gospel, and 
he spoke with such] great power that his whole 
household was converted. The multitude also that; had 
gathered at the call of the queen were pacified by his 
words, and when he saw that 1 their hearts were softened 
he caused that Aaron and his brethern should teach 
them the word of God. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE KING ISSUES A PROCLAMATION— THE RESULTS OF THE 
LABORS OF THE SONS OF MOSIAH— THE PEOPLE OF 
ANTI-NEPHI-LEHI— THEY BURY THEIR WEAPONS OF 
WAR — ARE MASSACRED BY THE THOUSAND — THEY 
REMOVE TO THE TERRITORY OF THE NEPHITES, WHO 
GIVE THEM THE LAND OF JERSHON. 

A FTER THE king was converted he sent a procla- 
mation throughout the land forbidding any and all 
from persecuting Amnion and his fellow-missionaries, 
giving them liberty to preach anywhere and every- 
where that they desired. Our readers may be sure 
that this privilege was not neglected. To use Ammon's 
own words, the missionaries entered into their houses 
and taught them; they taught them in their temples 
and synagogues, in the open streets and on the lofty 
hills. But often they were cast out, spit upon, smitten, 
stoned, bound, cast into prison and made to suffer all 
manner of afflictions, from which the Lord, in his mercy, 
delivered them and from which the king's proclamation 
afterward protected them. Nor was the result of their 
labors trifling, but glorious in the saving of many thou- 
sand souls ; for unto the Lord were converted the people 
of the Lamanites who dwelt in the lands of Ishmael, 
Middoni, Shilom and Shemlon, and in the cities of 
Nephi, Lemuel and Shimnilon; and they became a 
righteous, peaceful, God-serving people, and from faith- 
ful obedience to his law they never fell away. But 
the various bodies of Nephite apostates who dwelt 
among the Lamanites universally rejected the gospel 
message, with the exception of one single Amalekite, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 37 

and of what ultimately became of him we have no 
record. 

History often repeats itself, but we have no recol- 
lection of any parallel to the events that followed this 
marvelous conversion. The Lamanite people now 
became two as distinct and separate bodies as they and 
the Nephites had beforetimes been. But with this 
strange complication, the apostate Nephites now occu- 
pied the place and did the work of the natural Laman- 
ites, while the true descendants of Laman and Lemuel 
took the ground previously held by the righteous 
Nephites. So clearly defined did the division become 
that the supreme ruler ( Lamoni's father ) , having turned 
from the traditions, habits and customs of the Laman- 
ites, was determined to also cast aside the old name. 
If they were Lamanites in name alone they would cut 
that weak cord which alone held them to the past, and be 
as new in name as they were in feelings, hopes, lo3^alty 
and religion. So, after advising with Amnion and his 
fellow missionaries, he gave to his people the name of 
Anti-Nephi-Lehies, and to his son, to whom he trans- 
ferred the royal power, that of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. 

The renegade Amalekites, Amulonites and others 
were not willing to be ruled by a Christian monarch. 
They had rejected Christianity altogether, and would 
not have it as the ruling power, either in Nephi or 
Zarahemla. With the old sophistries and falsehoods 
they raised a mutiny in the hearts of their associate 
Lamanites and urged them on to rebellion against the 
rightful king and his believing subjects. But the con- 
verted Lamanites made no preparations to resist them ; 
they felt that in times past with unholy hands they 
had spilt blood as water on the land; blood that the}' 



138 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



could never atone for, but they would do it no more. 
Passive non-resistance for the future should be their 
policy, but the blood of a fellow-being thev would never 
again shed, no matter how great the peril, how intense 
the aggravation. As a witness of the completeness of 
this resolve, they took their weapons of war and buried 
thenl deep in the earth with an oath and covenant that 
they would never dig them up again. When the mad- 
dened hosts of their embittered brethren rushed upon 
them, the}^ came forth unarmed, bowed down before 
their assailants, and submitted to their fate. With 
them to live was Christ, to die was salvation. The 
vengeful Nephite apostates led the inglorious charge 
and shed most of the blood that flowed that da}^, when 
one thousand and five unresisting mart} T rs glorified the 
Lamanite race by the tribute of their lives to God and 
the truth. A thousand ransomed souls, washed white 
in the blood of the Lamb, that day entered the gates of 
heaven to stand amongst the saviors on Mount Zion in 
the great da} T of the redeemed. Nor was there joy 
alone in that bright world be} T ond, but on earth the 
church was gladdened by fresh accessions to the cause. 
When man}' of the aclual Lamanites witnessed the 
great change that had taken place in their brethren, 
that the}^ would quietly, peacefully, joyously lay down 
their lives, their consciences smote them; the} T stayed 
their hands, and rose in tumult against their Amalekite 
leaders, and would no longer be the murderers of their 
kin. The blood of the martyrs was indeed the seed of 
the church, for there were more added to the fold of 
Christ on that memorable day than those who passed 
away to the presence of their God. 

Foiled in their attempt to destroy the Anti-Nephi- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 139 

Lehies (or Ammonites as we shall Hereafter call them) , 
the bloodthirsty Lamanites, led as usual by Nephite 
apostates, made a sudden incursion into the land of 
Zarahemla, and, in fulfilment of Alma's prophecies, 
destroyed the great city of Ammonihah, of which we 
shall say more hereafter, but met with most disastrous 
defeat later on in the campaign. Still vowing ven- 
geance they returned to their own lands, and feeling that 
the Ammonites were in sympathy with the Nephites, 
they satisfied their hatred by again slaughtering many 
of these unresisting people, who, as before, permitted 
themselves to be slain without making the first effort at 
defense. But Ammon and his brethren were not willing 
to have the disciples continually harassed and eventually 
exterminated; they judged that the Lord having so 
thoroughly tried the faith of this devoted people, would 
provide some way of escape. 

Ammon counseled with the king and it was thought 
it would be better to forsake their all so far as worldly 
posessions were concerned, than to sacrifice their lives. 
But first let them inquire of the Lord. Ammon did so 
and the Lord said, Get this people out of this land, 
that they perish not, for Satan has great hold of the 
hearts of the Amalekites who do stir up the Laman- 
ites to anger against their brethren to slay them; 
therefore get thee out of this land ; and blessed are the 
people of this generation for I will preserve them. 

The word of the Lord thus received was joyfully 
obeyed. The Ammonites gathered up their flocks and 
their herds and departed into the wilderness that lay 
between the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla. There 
they rested whilst Ammon and his brethren went for- 
ward and treated with the Nephites in behalf of the 



140 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



persecuted hosts they had left behind. The people, by 
united voice, gladly welcomed their co-religionists and 
set apart the land of Jershon as their inheritance. 
Thither the Ammonites with happy feet repaired, and 
there they dwelt until the breaking out of war made it 
desirable that they should remove to the land of Melek, 
and many thousands in after years emigrated to the 
land north. Of their future history we shall speak, 
from time to time, when it connects with that of the 
Nephites. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

REVIEW OF THE MISSION OF THE SONS OF MOSIAH — ITS 
IMPORTANCE AND GREAT LENGTH — ITS RESULTS TO 
BOTH RACES— THE DATES OF ITS LEADING OCCUR- 
RENCES. 

FAR as we can gather from the records, the great 
mission of Amnion and his brethren to the Laman- 
ites was productive of results new to the history of the 
Nephites. On many previous occasions dissenters from 
the latter had gone over to the Lamanites, until that 
nation consisted of a mixed race. But the Nephite 
people appear to have been, almost without exception, 
the literal descendants of the first founders of the mon- 
archy, Nephi, Sam, Jacob, Joseph and Zoram, and of 
the people of Zarahemla. But now a large body of 
Lamanites was incorporated in the Nephite nation and 
became partakers of the liberties accorded to all other 
citizens. As the history of the two nations proceeds, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 141 

the original distinctions of descent become less and less 
observable, as defections from both people were con- 
stantly occurring, so that in process of time a Nephite 
was not so much a literal descendant of Lehi's greatest 
son, as one who recognized the Nephite government, was 
an observer of the law of Moses and a believer in the 
gospel ; while the Lamanite was he who dwelt in the 
dominions of that people, rejected the law and the gos- 
pel, and adopted the false traditions of that race. 

The mission of Ammon and his brethren was not 
only important but it was of great length. They left 
Zarahemla in the first year of the Judges (B. C. 91) 
and returned in the fourteenth (B. C. 78). It seems 
altogether probable that the conversion of king La- 
moni took place in the first year of their ministry, 
unless Ammon was detained in prison a lengthened 
period before he was brought before the king (for 
which suggestion we find no warrant) , as it was only 
the third day of Amnion's service when his conflict 
occurred with the cattle thieves at the waters of Sebus. 
The conversion of Lamoni was the immediate result. 
Yet we judge that the establishment and organization 
of the church in the land of Ishmael was a work of 
considerable time. We are strengthened in this opin- 
ion by the account of the labors performed by Aaron 
and others during this same period. 

In the fifth year of the Nephite Judges (B. C. 87) 
the Lamanites invaded Zarahemla and were disas- 
trously defeated, about which time we suggest Aaron 
and his fellows were confined in prison in the land of 
Middoni, and the results of the war would measurably 
account for the great cruelty with which they were 
treated by the exasperated Lamanites, as well as for 



142 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the ferocity of the old king when he fonnd his son in 
the company of the hated Nephite. After the inci- 
dents of that eventful meeting the king was not in a 
frame of mind to go to war with the Nephites; the 
generous words and magnanimous conduct of Ammon 
had produced such a deep influence, that though not 
yet converted, his heart had experienced a great change. 
Probably a year or two passed before Aaron and his 
fellow laborers brought him to a full knowledge of the 
true plan of redemption. For these reasons we con- 
sider the meeting of Lamoni and his father did not 
take place earlier than B. C. 87. The old king's con- 
version was followed by the issuance of his proclama- 
tion of protection and unqualified religious liberty to 
the Nephite missionaries and to all his subjects; of 
which proclamation Aaron and his co-laborers took the 
fullest benefit by preaching from city to city throughout 
the wide Lamanite territory, establishing churches and 
ordaining officers therein. This labor occupied some 
years. As the church grew the spirit of rebel- 
lion developed amongst the unconverted, until they 
declared open war against the king, and massacred their 
gospel-believing brethren. 

Immediately after the massacre of the 1005 Anti- 
Nephi-Lehies the angry Lamanites broke out in war 
with the Nephites, under the idea that the latter were 
the cause of their internal troubles. They made a 
sudden incursion into the land of Zarahemla and 
destroyed the city of Ammonihah, which event took 
place in the eleventh year of the Judges (B. C. 81 ), and 
after that they had many battles with the Nephites, 
in which they were driven and slain. After their 
return from this inglorious campaign they wreaked 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 143 



their vengeance on their unoffending brethren, and 
again commenced to massacre them, which murders, we 
suggest, took place during the thirteenth year of the 
reign of the Judges (B. C. 79), as in the year follow- 
ing the whole of the believing Lamanites migrated to 
the land of Jershon, as before narrated (B. C. 78). 
These dates are simply suggestive as far as the his- 
tory of the mission is concerned, but those that relate 
to the Nephites are distinctly stated in the annals of 
that people. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES — THEIR NAMES AND REIGNS — 
THE HERESY OF NEHOR — HE SLAYS GIDEON AND IS 
EXECUTED — AMLICI'S REBELLION — THE BATTLE OF 
AMNIHU— THE CONFLICT AT THE CROSSING OF THE 
SIDON— A THIRD BATTLE. 

T}OR A period of about one hundred and twenty years 
succeeding the death of king Mosiah, the Nephite 
commonwealth was governed by judges. These were 
chosen by the united voice of the people, as provided 
in the constitution framed under Divine inspiration by 
the last king, and acknowledged as the supreme law of 
the nation, through its unanimous acceptance as such, 
by the entire people. At the end of this period the 
republic was overthrown through the great wickedness 
of all classes of the community, and the people divided 
themselves into numerous independent tribes. 

It is not actually certain that the Book of Mormon 



144 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



gives us the names of all the Nephite chief judges. 
In the earlier portion of the annals of these times the 
order of succession is plainly stated, but in the record 
of later years the name of the judge is sometimes only 
mentioned incidentally in the historic narrative. It is 
therefore beyond our power to determine if there were, 
or were not, others whose names have been omitted by 
the sacred historians. The judges mentioned by name 
or description are twelve in number. Of these, five, 
Pahoran II., Cezoram, Cezoram's son (whose name is 
not given), Seezoram and Lachoneus II., were assassi- 
nated; one, Pacumeni, was slain in battle with the 
Lamanites; two, Alma and Nephi, were translated or 
taken by the Lord; three, Nephihah, Pahoran I., and 
Helaman, died a natural death, whilst of the manner of 
the decease of one, Lachoneus L, we have no record. 
They judged the Nephites in the following order: i 
Alma (the younger), from B. C. 91 to B. C. 83 ; 2 Nephi- 
hah, from B.C. 83 to B. C. 68; 3 Pahoran L, from B. C. 
68 to B. C. 53; 4 Pahoran II., from B. C. 52 to B. C. 
52; 5 Pacumeni, from B. C. 52 to B. C. 51; 6 Helaman 
(the younger), from B. C. 50 to B. C. 39; 7 Nephi, 
from B. C. 39 to B. C. 30; 8 Cezoram, from B. C. 30 to 
B. C. 26; 9 Cezoram's son, from B. C. 26 to B. C. 26; 
10 Seezoram, B. C. — to B. C. 23; 11 Lachoneus I., 
from — to — ; 12 Lachoneus II., from — to A. C. 30. 

It is possible that some unnamed judge may have 
ruled the Nephites for a short time after the murder 
of Cezoram's son, and before Seezoram was chosen, 
and still more probable that one or more rulers pre- 
sided over the destinies of the nation between the 
death of Seezoram and the election of Lachoneus I., as 
there was a space of fifty-three years between the mur- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 145 

der of Seezoram and that of Lachoneus II. , who suc- 
ceeded his father. Alma, the son of Alma, was the 
first chief judge of the Nephite republic, having been 
called to that high position before the death of king 
Mosiah. 

It was the first year of Alma's reign. Could our 
readers have taken a glimpse at the fair capital of the 
Nephites at that time (B. C. 91), already rich in the 
awards of human industry, combined with the lavish 
productions of nature in that much favored land, they 
might have noticed in the principal street a portly, hand- 
some man, manifesting in his carriage the evidences 
of great bodily strength, combined with vanity, self- 
sufficiency aud subtlety. They might have observed 
that his raiment was made of the finest fabrics that 
the looms of Zarahemla could produce, lavishly em- 
broidered and ornamented with the labors of the 
cunning workman in silk, in feathers and the precious 
metals, whilst at his side hung a richly decorated 
sword. This man was no king, no governor, no general 
of the armies of Israel ; he was simply Nehor, the suc- 
cessful religious charlatan of the hour, to whom the 
unstable listened .and the weakminded flocked. 

Nehor's teachings had at any rate the interest of 
novelty to the Nephites, yet some of his theories were 
older than Idumea. They had been rejected in the 
counsels of heaven before Lucifer, the Son of the Morn- 
ing, fell. He would save all men in their sins and with 
their sins ; he abolished hell, established a paid order of 
priests, and taught doctrines so liberal that even' man 
could be a member of his church and yet continue to 
gratify every vice his nature inclined to. For this 
liberality of doctrine, Nehor expected in return liber- 



146 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

ality of support for himself and assistants, in which 
anticipation he was not disappointed. Many adopted 
his heresies; his success fired his zeal, and developed 
his vanity. He was so used to the sycophancy of his 
converts that he was restive under contradiction, and 
when Gideon, the aged patriot, and teacher in the true 
church, one day met him in the streets of Zarahemla 
and upbraided him for his wicked course, neither 
respecting his great age nor his many virtues, Nehor 
drew his sword and smote him till he died. For this 
wilful and unprovoked crime, the murderer was tried, 
convicted, and afterwards executed. His execution 
took place on the hill Manti, and, from the way in 
which his death is spoken of, we imagine that he was 
hanged. 

Though Nehor's shameful life was thus ended, 
unfortunately his doctrine did not die with him. It 
was too pleasant to those who desired to gain heaven 
by a life of sin. Consequently it spread widely through 
the teachings of his followers. In later years the trai- 
torous Amlicites, the apostate Amalekites, the blood- 
thirsty Amulonites and Ammonihahites, were all 
believers in his soul-destroying doctrines. The blood 
shed, the misery produced, the treasure expended 
through the wickedness and folly of these base crea- 
tures, cannot be computed. 

The increase of these false teachers among the 
Nephites rapidly developed class distinctions and social 
divisions ; their adherents being generally gathered 
from amongst those who loved the vain things of the 
world. Naturally they became proud and overbearing, 
and bitter in their feelings towards the members of the 
true Church of Christ. Many of the latter received 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



H7 



severe persecution at the hands of the dissenters, and 
bore it without retaliation, while others returned insult 
for insult, and gave blow for blow. 

The example of these self-appointed teachers pro- 
duced a like spirit throughout their churches, and their 
members became idle and full of devices to enable them 
to live without honest toil. The}' gave way to sorcery 
and idolatry, to robbery and murder, and to all manner 
of wickedness, for which offenses the}' were dulv 
punished according to the law, whenever conviction 
could be obtained, and when the intent of the law was 
not thwarted by their unholy combinations. This 
development of priestcraft also gave rise to anocher 
evil. Many belonging to the apostate churches, though 
not willing to openly plunder or murder for gain, were 
anxious for a monarchy to be established, that thereby 
they might be appointed office holders, etc., and fatten 
at the public crib. Their hope and intention was to 
destroy the Church of God, and, undoubtedly, to despoil 
its members. 

In the fifth year of the Judges, a willing instru- 
ment arose to effect their purpose. His name was 
Amlici; a follower of Xehor, corrupt and ambitious, but 
cunning in the wisdom of the world. He was chosen 
by the enemies of the commonwealth to be the king 
of the Xephites. The whole question was brought 
before the people at a general election, as provided by 
the code of A Iosiah. The monarchists were outvoted; 
the republic and the church were saved. 

This should have ended the matter, but it did not; 
the turbulent minority, incited by Amlici, would not 
accept this constitutional decision. They assembled 
and crowned their favorite as king of the Xephites , 



148 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and lie at once began to prepare for war, that he might 
force the rest of the people to accept his government. 
Nor was Alma idle ; he also made read}' for the impend- 
ing contest. He gathered his people and armed them 
with all the weapons known to Nephite warfare. The 
two armies of those who so short a time before were 
brethren, met near a hill called Amnihn, on the east 
bank of the river Sidon. There a bloody battle followed, 
in which Amlici's forces were disastrously defeated 
with a loss of 12,532 men, whilst the victors had to 
mourn the loss of 6,562 warriors slain. 

After pursuing the defeated monarchists as far as 
he was able, Alma rested his troops in the valley of 
Gideon (named after the martyr slain by Nehor). He 
there took the precaution to send out four officers with 
their companies to watch the movements and learn the 
intentions of the retreating foe. These officers were 
named Zeram, Amnor, Manti and Limher. On the 
morrow these scouts returned in great haste, and 
reported that the Amlicites had joined a vast host of 
Lamanites in the land Minon, where unitedly the}' 
were slaying the Nephite population and ravaging their 
possessions; at the same time they were pushing rapidly 
towards the Nephite capital with the intent of captur- 
ing it before Alma's army could return. Alma at once 
headed his troops for Zarahemla, and with all haste 
marched towards it. He reached the crossing of the 
Sidon without meeting the enemy, but while attempt- 
ing to pass to the western bank he was . confronted by 
the allied armies. 

A terrible battle ensued; the Nephites were taken 
somewhat at a disadvantage, but being men of faith, 
they fervently sought heaven's aid, and in the increased 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 149 

fervor this faith inspired, they advanced to the combat. 
With Alma at their head, the advanced gnard forded 
the river and broke upon the enemy who stood await- 
ing them. By the fury of their charge they drove in 
the ranks of the enemy, and as they pushed onward 
they cleared the ground by throwing the bodies of their 
fallen foes into the Sidon, thus making an opening for 
the main body to obtain a foothold. In this charge 
Alma met Amlici face to face, and they fought des- 
perately. In the midst of this hand to hand combat, 
Alma lifted his heart on high, and prayed for renewed 
strength that he might not be overpowered, but live to 
do more good to his people. His prayers were answered, 
and. thereby he gained new vigor to battle with and 
eventually slay Amlici. Amlici slain, Alma led the 
attack to where the king of the Lamanites fought. 
But that monarch retired before the impetuous valor of 
the high priest, and commanded his guards to close in 
upon his assailant. The order was promptly obeyed, 
but it did not succeed. Alma and his guards bore 
down upon them with such fury that the few of the 
monarch's warriors who escaped made a hasty retreat. 
Pushing steadily on, Alma kept driving the allies before 
him, until his whole army had crossed the Sidon. 
There the enemy, no longer able to meet his well 
ordered advance, broke in all directions, and retreated 
into the wilderness that lay to the north and west. 
They were hotly pursued by the Nephites as long as 
the latter' s strength permitted, and were met on all 
quarters by patriots rallying to the call of the com- 
monwealth, who slew them by thousands. A remnant 
eventually reached that part of the wilderness known 
as Hermounts. There many died and were devoured 



150 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 




WILDERNESS OF HERMOUNTS. 



by the wild beasts and vultures with which that region 
abounded. 

A few days after this decisive battle, another invad- 
ing Lamanite army appeared. This one advanced 
along the east bank of the Sidon. Alma, having been 
wounded, sent one of his officers, who met the hosts of 
the Lamanites, and drove them back to their own lands. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

ALMA RESIGNS THE CHIEF JUDGESHIP — NEPHIH AH CHOSEN 
— ALMA MINISTERS IN ZARAHEMLA, GIDEON, MELEK 
AND AMMONIHAH — CONDITION OF THE LAST NAMED 
CITY — IT REJECTS THE MESSAGE ALMA BEARS — AN 
ANGEL MEETS HIM— AMULEK— THE LAWYER ZEEZROM— 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY — ZEEZROM CONVERTED AND 
CAST OUT— THE MARTYRDOM OF THE BELIEVERS- 
ALMA AND AMULEK IN PRISON— THEIR DELIVERANCE. 

^"jpHE GREAT losses sustained by the Nephites in 
war, not of warriors alone, but of women and 
children, together with the vast amount of their property 
destroyed, had the effect of humbling them and soften- 
ing their wayward hearts, so that many thousands, 
during the next few years, were added to the church 
by baptism. But the recollection of their former dis- 
asters was gradually worn away by time and prosperity. 
Three years later we find great inequality in the 
church — some poor and some rich, the more powerful 
abusing and oppressing their weaker brethren. This 
course proved a great stumbling-block to those who 
were not numbered with the church, as well as being 
the cause of much sorrow and ill-feeling amongst its 
members. Finding that no one man could properly 
attend to the duties of his many offices, Alma deter- 
mined to resign his chief judgeship, and devote his en- 
tire time to his duties as the earthly head of the church. 
Preparatory to this resignation, he selected one of the 
leading elders, named Nephihah, to be his successor as 
chief judge. This choice was confirmed 05^ the people. 
(B. C. 83.) 

Alma now gave his entire attention to the duties 



152 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

of his calling as a preacher of righteousness. He 
commenced his labors in Zarahemla. Thence he went 
to the city of Gideon. After ministering there lor 
some time, he returned for rest to his home in the capi- 
tal city. 

The next year ( B. C. 82), Alma turned his face 
westward. He visited the land of Melek, where his 
labors were crowned with abundant blessings. Hav- 
ing satisfied himself with the good that he had accom- 
plished, he traveled three days' .journey on the north 
of the land of Melek, to a great and corrupt city called 
Ammonihah. There he found a godless people, filled 
with the falsehoods of Nehor, and committing all 
manner of abominations without repentance, because 
they cherished the flattering lie, as the foundation of 
their creed, that all men would be saved. This city 
was in the hands of a corrupt clique of judges and 
lawyers, who stirred up sedition, tumult and rioting, 
that they might make money out of the suits that fol- 
lowed such disturbances. Further than this, they were 
secretly plotting to overthrow the government, and rob 
the people of their highly prized liberties. Among 
such a people Alma labored in vain; none would 
listen, none would obey, none offered him rest and food. 
Scorn and mockery were his reward; and he was spat 
upon, maltreated and cast out of the city. 

Weary in body and sick at heart because of the 
iniquity of the people, after many fruitless efforts, fer- 
vent prayers and long fastings, Alma sought some 
other people more worthy of salvation's priceless gifts. 
He bent his way towards the city of Aaron ; but as he 
journeyed, an angel of the Lord (that same angel that 
beforetime had been the agent in his conversion to God) 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



1 53 



stood before him and blessed him. He told him to lift 
up his heart and rejoice, for because of his faithfulness 
he had great cause to do so. The angel then directed 
Alma to return to the sin-cursed city he had just left, 
and proclaim unto its citizens the awful message that 
except they repented the Lord would destroy them. 

Speedily the prophet obeyed the angel's words. 
By another road he drew near the doomed city, which 
he entered by its south gate. As he passed in he 
hungered, and asked a man whom he met, Will ye give 
to an humble servant of God something to eat? With 
joy the man (and, strange though it appear, he was 
a rich man ) took him to his home and fed, clothed and 
lodged him. Furthermore, Amulek, for such was his 
name, told Alma that he also had received a visit from a 
holy angel who had informed him of the high priest's 
coining, and directed him to receive him into his house. 
Then Alma blessed Amulek and all his household, and 
tarried with him and recruited his strength under the 
generous hospitality which Amulek's home afforded. 
But his rest was not to be a lengthened one; the people 
waxed stronger in sin ; the cup of their iniquity was 
nearly full. Go, came the word of the Lord, Go forth, 
and take with thee my servant Amulek, and prophesy 
unto this people, saying, Repent ye, for thus saith the 
Lord, Except ye repent, I will visit this people in mine 
anger ; yea, I will not turn my fierce anger away. Filled 
with the Holy Ghost, these servants of God went forth 
and valiantly delivered their terrible message. 

One of those who most bitterly opposed Alma and 
Amulek was a lawyer named Zeezrom. We find re- 
corded at great length, in the Book of Mormon, the 
details of the controversy that occurred between him 



*54 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and the two sen-ants of the Lord. As a resnlt we 
have handed down to ns some of the plainest teachings 
regarding the atonement, the resurrection, the powers of 
the priesthood, etc., that are had among mankind. Xo 
matter what Alma and his companion said, Zeezrom 
conld twist it from its proper meaning; find blasphemy 
and heresy in the snblime truths of the gospel, and 
extract treason from the simplest of God's laws. He 
questioned and cross-questioned, he promised and threat- 
ened, he twisted and turned, he abused and villifLed, but 
all to no purpose, he was caught in his own trap. His 
heaven-inspired opponents made manifest his thoughts 
and intentions, the}' exposed his lying, the}' overthrew 
his sophistries and, with a power more than human, 
thev exhibited the blackness of his heart. As they pro- 
ceeded the power of God increased upon them, their 
words grew yet more forcible until Zeezrom himself 
felt their power. As his corruptions were laid bare he 
began to tremble, first with rage, then with fear. Bad 
as he was, he was not the worst among that people, and 
when once he realized the power he was combatting, his 
heart began to acknowledge its guilt. 

With this feeling he commenced to inquire of Alma, 
not in mockery, but in solemn earnestness with regard 
to the kingdom of God. The answers he received were 
like a two edged sword, piercing to his inmost soul, 
bringing to him a terrible sense of his awful position 
before God, and encompassing him about with the pains 
of hell. He realized that he had been a leader in 
iniquity, that his lyings and deceivings had greatly con- 
tributed to drag the people down to their existing corrup- 
tion, and that he was among those most respousible 
for their hardness of heart. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



155 



In this frame of mind he made an effort to plead 
with the people; he acknowledged his guilt, testified 
to the virtue and integrity of Alma and Amulek and 
interceded in their behalf. But in vain. The degraded 
populace reviled him, they mocked at him, they said he 
was possessed of a devil, and further, they spat on him; 
then they cast stones at him, and ultimately, with some 
others, drove him out of their city; while the two 
prophets, with many who believed in their holy message, 
were thrown into prison, there to suffer all the indigni- 
ties, persecutions and annoyances that apostate hate 
could inflict. Nor was this the worst ; these reprobates 
took the wives and babes of those believers whom they 
had driven away, with such as had accepted the truth 
who still remained in the city, and, gathering them in 
one body they mercilessly burned them to death in one 
great martyrs' fire. Into the torturing flames they 
also cast the records that contained the holy scriptures, 
as though, in their blind fury, they imagined that they 
could thereby destroy the truths that were so odious to 
them. 

In their devilish glee and savage exultation they 
next carried the two enchained prophets to the place of 
sacrifice, that they might harrow up their souls with 
a view of the sufferings of the perishing women 
and children. Amulek's brave and impetuous spirit 
could ill bear the fearful scene. The groans, cries 
and supplications of the tortured innocents carried un- 
told agony to his soul. He begged Alma to exercise 
the power of God that was in them to save the martyrs. 
But the Holy Spirit revealed to Alma that this sacri- 
fice was by heaven's consent, and he replied, The 
Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth 



I $6 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

mine hand, for behold the Lord receiveth them np nnto 
himself in glory ; and he doth suffer that the people 
may do this thing, according to the hardness of their 
hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise 
upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of 
the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, 
and cry mightily against them at the last day. Then 
Amulek said, Perhaps they will burn us also. To 
which Alma responded, Be it according to the will of 
the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; there- 
fore they burn us not. 

When the fire had burned low, and the precious 
fuel of human bodies and sacred records was consumed, 
the chief judge of the city came to the two prisoners 
as they stood bound, and mocked them. He smote 
them on the cheek, and jeeringly asked them if they 
would preach again that his people should be cast into a 
lake of fire and brimstone, seeing that they had no power 
to save those who had been burned, neither had God 
exercised his power in their behalf. But neither 
answered him a word. Then he smote them again and 
remanded them to prison. 

After they had been confined three days, they 
were visited by many judges and lawyers, priests and 
teachers, after the order of Nehor, who came to exult 
in the miser y of their prisoners. They questioned and 
badgered them, but neither would repl} T . They came 
again the next day, and went through the same per- 
formance. They mocked at, smote and spat upon the 
two disciples. They tantalized them with blasphemous 
questions, such as the nature of their peculiar faith 
inspired. How shall we look when we are dammed? 
sneeringly asked these unbelievers in damnation. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 59 

Patiently and silently all this was borne. Day 
after day was it repeated. Harder and harder grew the 
hearts of the Ammonihahites towards their prisoners. 
Fiercer and stronger grew their hatred. They stripped 
Alma and Amnlek of their clothes, and, when naked, 
bound them with strong ropes. They withheld food 
and drink from them, and in various ways they tortured 
their bodies, and sought to aggravate and tantalize 
them and harrow up their minds. On the 12th day of 
the tenth month of the tenth year of the Judges (B. C. 
8 2), the chief judge with his followers again went to the 
prison. According to his usual custom he smote the 
brethren, saying as he did so, If ye have the power of 
God, deliver yourselves from these bonds, and then 
we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people 
according to your words. This impious challenge the 
crowd one by one repeated as they passed by the proph- 
ets, and smote them in imitation of their leader. Thus 
each individual assumed the responsibility of the 
defiance cast at the Almighty, and virtually said, Our 
blood be upon our own heads. 

The hour of God's power had now come — the 
challenge had been accepted. The prophets, in the 
majesty of their calling, rose to their feet. They 
were endowed with the strength of Jehovah. Like 
burnt thread the cords that bound them were snapped 
asunder and they stood free and unshackled before the 
terror-stricken crowd. To rush from the prison was the 
first impulse of the God-defying followers of Nehor. 
In their fear some fell to the earth, others, impelled by 
the crowd behind, stumbled and fell over their pros- 
trate bodies, until they became one confused mass, 
blocking each other's way; struggling, yelling, cursing. 



l6o STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

pleading, fighting; frantically, bnt vainly, endeavoring 
to reach the onter gate. 

At this moment of supreme horror an earthquake 
rent the prison walls. They trembled, then tottered, 
then fell on the struggling mass of humanity below, 
burying in one vast unconsecrated grave rulers and 
judges, lawyers and officers, priests and teachers. Not 
one was left alive of all the impious mob who a few 
moments before defied heaven and challenged Jehovah's 
might. But Alma and Amulek stood in the midst of 
the ruins unhurt. Straightway they left this scene of 
desolation and went into the city. When the people 
saw the two servants of God, great fear fell upon them, 
and they fled, as a goat fleeth with her young from two 
lions. 

Alma and Amulek were then ordered to leave the 
city. This they did, and went to the neighboring town 
of Sidom. There they found those who had been cast 
out of Ammonihah, and in grief and sorrow they 
related the story of the burning of the wives and child- 
ren of the fugitives, and also the history of their own 
miraculous deliverance. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



ZEEZROM SICK WITH FEVER— HIS MIRACULOUS RECOVERY — 
THE DESTRUCTION OF AMMONIHAH — THE INVASION OF 
THE LAND OF NOAH — ZORAM, THE NEPHITE COMMAN- 
DER, SEEKS THE MIND OF THE LORD — IT IS GIVEN, 
ITS RESULTS — THE WAR ENDED— ALMA'S MINISTRA- 
TIONS. 

^^THILE the fearful tragedy that we have just 
related was being enacted in Ammonihah, Zeez- 
rom — trembling, heart-sick and faint — wandered with 
the others to Sidom. The horrors of the damned took 
hold of him, until his body succumbed to the agony of 
his mind. He was scorched with a burning fever, which 
continually increased until the glad tidings reached his 
ears that Alma and Amulek were safe ; for he had feared 
that through his iniquities they had been slain. No 
sooner did they reach Sidom than he sent for them, as 
his heart then began to take courage. They did not 
hesitate, but at once proceeded to where he lay. When 
they entered his presence, he stretched forth his hands 
and besought them to heal him. Alma questioned him 
regarding his faith in Christ, and finding that the good 
seed planted in his bosom had brought forth fruit, this 
mighty high priest cried unto the Lord, O Lord our God, 
have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his 
faith which is in Christ. When Alma had said these 
words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet and walked, to the 
great astonishment of all who witnessed it. Alma then 
baptized the repentant lawyer, who began from that 
time forth to preach the glorious message of eternal 
salvation. His energy, wisdom, learning and talents 



164 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

were now used towards the upbuilding of the kingdom 
of God, with as much zeal as he had before labored for 
corruptible riches and worldly fame, for Zeezrom was a 
whole-souled, courageous man; he did nothing by 
halves — when he served the devil, he was a profitable 
servant ; when he turned to God, he did it with all his 
heart. From this time Zeezrom became a preacher of 
righteousness, laboring under the direction of Alma, 
and we next hear of him ministering with Amulek to 
the people in the land of Melek. 

Next year Ammonihah was destroyed. Less than 
four months had elapsed since the two inspired follow- 
ers of the Lamb had left it to its fate, when the Laman- 
ites fell upon it like a whirlwind in its suddenness, and 
as an avalanche in its utter desolation. The dark 
skinned warriors of Laman swept over these murderers 
of the saints like a tempest of fire, leaving neither 
young nor old, babe nor grandsire, to repeat the story 
of their woes. Not one of Ammonihah's boasting 
children was left to defy heaven. 

Nor was the city spared; it, also, was given to the 
destroyer, and its palaces and temples, its homes and its 
workshops, were consumed by the devouring fire. For 
one day the fierce flames consumed the walls and towers 
of Ammonihah. Their light illumined the lurid sky, 
shone on the distant mountain tops, and lit the neigh- 
boring valleys. Then an uninhabitable desolation, 
stinking with the rotting carcass of man and beast, 
only remained to mark the place where Ammonihah 
once stood. As the Desolation of Nehors, it was known 
and avoided by the Nephites for many succeeding years. 

Emboldened by this signal triumph, the Lamanites 
entered the borders of the neighboring land of Noah. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 65 



There they continued their depradations, carrying off 
many Nephite captives into the wilderness. At this 
juncture Zoram and his two sons (Lehi and Aha), 
rallied the Nephite forces, in the hope of intercepting 
the Lamanite armies in their return to the land of 
Nephi, and of delivering the captives. 

Before starting on their march Zoram determined to 
inquire of the Lord. He and his sons knew that Alma 
was a prophet and revelator to the nation. Wisely 
they went first to him and inquired if it was the Lord's 
will that they should advance into the wilderness in 
search of their captive brethren. 

Alma laid the matter before the Lord. The divine 
answer came: Behold the Lamanites will cross the 
river Sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond 
the borders of the land of Manti. And behold there 
shall ye meet them, on the east of the river Sidon, 
and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy breth- 
ren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites. 

Obedient to these plain instructions, Zoram and 
his sons crossed over the river Sidon with their armies, 
and marched southward beyond the borders of the land 
of Manti, into that portion of the great southern wil- 
derness which lay east of the river Sidon. There they 
came upon the enemy, as the word of the Lord had 
declared, and there they joined in battle. The Laman- 
ites were defeated, scattered and driven into the wil- 
derness, and the Nephite captives were delivered. 
Great was the joy in the land of Zarahemla when it 
was found that not one Nephite had been lost of all 
those taken prisoners; but every one, great and small, 
had escaped the horrors of slavery in the hands of the 
Lamanites, and they all returned in peace to possess 



t66 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



their own lands. Here we have a most happy result of 
seeking the word of the Lord and then faithfully car- 
rying out his instructions. 

Again there was peace throughout the land, and 
the name of Zoram is no more mentioned in the sacred 
record. 

During this period of peace, Alma and his fellow- 
priesthood preached God's holy word in the power and 
demonstration of the Spirit, and with much success. 
Great prosperity came to the church throughout all the 
lands of the Nephites. At this happy time there was 
no inequality among them; the Lord poured out his 
Spirit on all the face of the land, as Alma supposed to 
prepare the hearts of his people for the coming of 
Christ. Like many others of the ancient prophets, he 
ante dated that glorious appearing. He little knew 
of the wars and contentions, the apostacies and dissen- 
tions, the spiritual tribulation and material commotion 
that would precede that blessed day. But with this 
prospect full in view, he labored and rejoiced, preached, 
blessed and prophesied, never tiring in his energies, 
and feeling sorrowful only because of the hard-heart- 
edness and spiritual blindness of some of the people. 

In one most glorious event, Alma had unspeakable 
joy. His youthful companions, the sons of king 
Mosiah, returned from their fourteen years' mission 
amongst the Lamanites, during which time, after many 
sore trials and great tributetion, they, by the grace of 
the Father, had brought many thousands of that 
benighted race to a knowledge of the principles of the 
everlasting gospel. 

Alma was traveling south on one of his missionary 
journeys from the land of Zarahemla to the land of 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



167 



Manti, when he met Amnion and his brethren coming 
from the land of Nephi. On hearing the story of the 
mission, he at once returned home with them to Zara- 
hemla. There the condition of affairs amongst the 
Lamanites was rehearsed to the chief judge, who laid 
the whole subject before the people, so that whatever 
was done in relation to the Christian Lamanites might 
be done by common consent. The Nephites decided 
to give the land of Jershon to these people for an 
inheritance. With this cheering news Amnion, accom- 
panied by Alma, returned into the southern wilderness, 
to the place where his people were awaiting the 
decision of the Nephites. There the Ammonites were 
ministered to and comforted by Alma and others, after 
which they resumed their march to the land set apart 
for their future abode. There, however, we shall find, 
as we proceed with our story, they remained but a few 
years. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

KORIHOR, THE ANTI-CHRIST — HIS FALSE TEACHINGS AND 
BLASPHEMY — HE IS TAKEN BEFORE ALMA — IS STRUCK 
DUMB— HIS MISERABLE END— THE HERESY ROOTED OUT. 

^HE NEXT notable event in the history of the 
Nephites was the appearance of Korihor, the anti- 
Christ. (B. C. 75.) 

The doctrines advocated by Korihor were of a kind 
that would gain ready adhesion from those who did not 
fervently love purity, truth and righteousness, as they 



i6S 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



flattered their vanity and gave them liberty to follow 
the lead of their passions without fear of the judg- 
ment or condemnation of a Divine Being. Spiritually 
he was a Nihilist. He denied the coming of the Mes- 
siah, he ridiculed prophecy' and revelation, and asserted 
that it was impossible for men to know the future. He 
inveighed against the atonement of the Redeemer as a 
foolish superstition, and taught, instead of the unchang- 
ing truths of the everlasting gospel, the theory that 
every man fared in this life according to the man- 
agement of the creature, that every man prospered 
according to his genius, and conquered according to his 
strength. Further, he announced that whatsoever a 
man did was no crime, for that when a man was dead, 
there ay as an end thereof. 

It is almost needless to say that those who accepted 
such dogmas gave way to all manner of evil doing. 
The}' became overbearing to others, exceedingly keen in 
business transactions, were full of covetousness, duplic- 
ity and lasciviousness, and indulged in various wanton 
pleasures. Their motto might be said to have been, 
Let us eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow we die; 
and what we do here will not be brought against us 
hereafter. 

Korihor also gained a strong hold among the dis- 
contented, for such are ever found where universal 
perfection does not dwell. He railed at the holy priest- 
hood with fierce words of falsehood. He charged that 
they sought to keep the people down, that they encour- 
aged ignorance in the masses, that they bound their 
minds with foolish traditions; all this, and much more, 
that they might usurp power and authority, and glut 
themselves with the results of their victims' daily toil. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 169 

In Alicia's answer to this charge we have a pleas- 
ing insight into his private life. He said: Thou 
knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors 
of this people, for behold, I have labored even from the 
commencement of the reign of the Judges until now, 
with mine own hands, for my support, notwithstanding 
my many travels round about the land to declare the 
word of God unto my people ; and notwithstanding the 
many labors I have performed in the church, I have 
not so much as received even one senine for my labor; 
neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the 
judgement seat, and then we have received only accord- 
ing to law for our time. 

As a propagandist, Korihor, for a short time, was a 
success. We first hear of him preaching his satanic 
doctrines in the land of Zarahemla, and as he claimed 
to fully believe all he taught, the law could not touch 
him, as full religious liberty was guaranteed under the 
constitution and laws of the Nephite commonwealth. 
From Zarahemla he went to the land of Jershon to 
inoculate the Ammonites with his soul-destroying 
vagaries. But they were a wiser and more zealous 
people for the gospel than were many of the Nephites. 
They took him, bound him, and carried him before 
Ammon (son of king Mosiah), their high priest. He 
directed that Korihor should be removed beyond the 
border of their land, which command having been 
obeyed, we next find the unabashed impostor laboring 
amongst the people .of the land of Gideon. There he 
also met with rebuffs. He was arrested by the people 
and taken before the chief officers in that land. They 
found they could do nothing that would be satisfactory 
with him, so they remanded him into the custody of 



170 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the proper officers, with, instructions to carry him 
before Alma and Nephihah, in Zarahemla. 

When brought before these worthies — the highest 
dignataries of the church and state — Korihor con- 
tinued in his course of loud mouthed blasphemy, defi- 
ant assumption, and wilful falsehood. 

He argued against the existence of the Father 
and the coming of his Only Begotten. Alma accused 
him of arguing against his convictions, but this he 
stoutly denied, and clamored for a sign to be given, as 
he pretended, that he might be convinced. Alma at 
length, wearied by his impious importunities, told him 
that God, as a sign, would smite him dumb. This ter- 
rible warning, though it caused the pretender some 
uneasiness, only resulted in an attempt at prevarica- 
tion on his part. He said: I do not deny the existence 
of a God, but I do not believe there is a God; and I 
say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and 
except ye show me a sign I will not believe. Then 
Alma answered: This will I give unto thee for a sign, 
that thou shalt be struck dumb according to my words ; 
and I say that, in the name of God, ye shall be struck 
dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance. 

Korihor received his sign; Alma's words were ful- 
filled; the sign-seeker never more spoke on earth. 
When the hand of the Lord fell on him he recanted. 
By writing, as he could not speak, he confessed the 
power of God, and acknowledged that he had been led 
astray by Satan, who had come to him in the form of 
an angel of light. He begged that the curse might be 
removed, but Alma, well knowing the* baseness of his 
heart, refused to intercede before heaven in his behalf, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 71 



lest when restored to speech he would again strive to 
deceive the people. 

And it came to pass that the curse was not taken 
off Korihor; but he was cast out, and went about 
from house to house begging for his food. 

A proclamation was next sent throughout all the 
land. In it the chief judge recited what had happened 
to Korihor, and called upon those who had believed in 
his words to speedily repent, lest the same judgments 
should come upon them. 

This proclamation put an end to the iniquity of 
Korihor, for his followers were all brought back again 
to the truth. But Korihor, deserted by the devil, a 
vagabond and a beggar, still continued to beg his way 
from town to town, from house to house; until, one 
day, in a city of the Zoramites, he was run over and 
trodden down. The injuries that he received at this 
time were so great that he soon after died. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

ZORAM AND THE ZORAMITES— THEIR PECULIAR HERESY — 
THE LAND OF ANTIONUM — THE RAMEUMPTOM— ALMA'S 
MISSION TO THESE PEOPLE— THOSE WHO RECEIVE HIS 
TEACHINGS PERSECUTED— THEY FLEE TO JERSHON. 

JN OUR last chapter we stated that Korihor, the 
anti-Christ, was killed in a city of the Zoramites. 

Who was Zoram ? and who were the Zoramites ? are the 

questions that now present themselves. 

There are two distinct classes of people called 

Zoramites in the Book of Mormon. The first, the 



172 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



descendants of Zoram, the servant of Laban, who 
accompanied Nephi from Jerusalem. The second were 
the followers of the apostate Zoram, whose defection 
and treason caused so much trouble and bloodshed in 
the Nephite republic. 

Of the last named Zoram and his individual life 
we have no history. We only know him through his 
pernicious teachings, and the sad results thereof. But 
it is altogether probable that before he started out as a 
religious reformer on his own account, he was a fol- 
lower of Nehor, as the majority of his adherents appear 
to have been gathered from that seel: . and to have 
belonged to that order. 

Zoram assembled his people in a region of the 
South American continent, at that time but very thinly 
settled by the Nephites. It was called the land of 
Antionum, and lay to the east of the river Sidon, while 
it stretched from the land of Jershon in the north, to 
the great wilderness south, which was infested with the 
more savage, wandering Lamanites. To this broad 
land the Zoramites gathered, and there built their cities, 
erected their synagogues, and grew in material wealth; 
until, in the year B. C. 75, they had became an impor- 
tant, though undesirable portion of the Nephite com- 
monwealth. As friends they were unreliable, as ene- 
mies formidable. 

In the various apostasies, partial or total, that from 
time to time disgraced the Nephites, there is one char- 
acteristic feature that seems universal to them all, how- 
ever much they may have differed on minor points. It 
was the denial of the coming of the Savior in the flesh, 
and of the necessity of His atonement for the sins of 
the world. This was the evil one's strong point in his 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 73 

efforts to mislead the ancient Nephites. Let him but 
persuade any people to reject this, the foundation of the 
gospel scheme, and little he cares what else they believe 
or disbelieve; for when this fundamental truth is 
rejected their spiritual enslavement is secured. 

This was the case with the Zoramites. They 
claimed to be a chosen and a holy people, separate from 
their fellowmen, and elected of God to eternal salva- 
tion, while all around were predestined to be cast down 
to hell. This atrocious creed naturally resulted in its 
adherents and advocates being puffed up in vanity and 
consumed with pride. They became haughty, unchar- 
itable and tyrannical, and oppressors of their poorer 
neighbors. They covered their bodies with the finest 
apparel, and profusely adorned their persons with costly 
ornaments of gold and jewels. In their arrogance and 
self-righteousness they became the Pharisees of their 
age and country; but in other phases of iniquity they 
far exceeded their counterparts in the Holy Land. 
They bowed down to idols, denied the coming of 
Christ, declared the doctrine of the atonement to 
be a foolish tradition, and, like many of the sects of 
modern Christendom, they misinterpreted the teachings 
of holy scripture with regard to the being of God. 
Their declaration of faith was: Holy, holy God; we 
believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art 
holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a 
spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever. 

This strange medley of ideas gave birth to corres- 
* ponding vagaries of worship. They left off praying. 
Being chosen and elected to be God's hoi}' children, 
they had no need of prayer. Once a week they assem- 
bled in their synagogues and went through an empty 



174 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



form, which, was a little prayer, a little praise and con- 
siderable self-glorification. Having done this, they 
never mentioned God or holy things again thronghont 
the week; indeed, it was a portion of their creed that 
their synagogues were the only places in which it was 
lawful to talk or think of religious matters. 

Their ceremonies were as absurd as their creed. 
In the centre of each of their synagogues was erected 
a hoi}- stand, or pulpit, called rameumptom, which 
stood high above the congregation. From the slight 
description given of it in the book of Alma we judge it 
to have been somewhat pyramidical in form, the top 
being only large enough for one person to stand upon. 
Each worshiper mounted to the top, stretched out his 
hands toward heaven, and, in a loud voice, repeated 
their set form of worship. Having done this, he 
descended and another took his place, and so on, until 
all who desired to go through the mummery had satis- 
fied their conscience or gratified their pride. 

The tidings of this defection having reached Alma, 
he selected several of the leading members of the 
priesthood, and, as soon as possible, proceeded to the 
land Antionum, where the Zoramites had gathered. 
Those who accompanied him were his two younger 
sons, three of the sons of king Mosiah, Amulek and 
Zeezrom. To his anxiety to bring these dissenters 
back from the error of their ways, and to avert heaven's 
righteous wrath from falling upon them, was added the 
fear that if they remained in their wickedness they 
would join the Lamanites and bring trouble upon their 
more faithful fellow Nephites by urging the renewal 
of war. 

On the arrival of Alma and his fellow-laborers at 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



T 75 



the seat of this apostasy, they at once commenced their 
ministrations. They tanght in the synagogues and 
preached in the streets. They visited the people from 
house to house, using every possible effort to bring 
these misguided dissenters to an understanding of their 
perilous condition. To these labors we are indebted 
for some of the plainest and most powerful gospel 
teachings contained in the Book of Mormon, all of 
which will w r ell repay our perusal. Suffice it to say, 
that many of the poor and humble, those who were 
oppressed, abused and trodden down by their false 
priests and unrighteous rulers, as well as by the 
wealthier portion of the community, received the words 
of salvation, while the majority rejected it with con- 
temptuous scorn. Some of the missionaries were mal- 
treated. Shiblon, the son of Alma, was imprisoned 
and stoned for the truth's sake, while others fared but 
little better. Unfortunately the work of God was 
retarded by the misconduct of Corianton, the brother 
of Shiblon, who, for a time, deserted his ministerial 
duties for the company of a harlot. This folly caused 
Alma great sorrow, as it gave the ungodly a pretext 
for rejecting the gospel, of which they were not slow to 
avail themselves. 

When Alma and his associates had done all the 
good they deemed possible, they withdrew to the neigh- 
boring land of Jershon. No sooner had they left than 
the more crafty of the Zoramites devised a plan to dis- 
cover the feelings of the community. They gathered 
the people together throughout the land and consulted 
with them concerning that which they had heard. In 
this way they discovered who favored the truth and 
who rejected it. Finding that the poor and uninfluen- 



176 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



tial were those who had received it, they resorted to 
persecution and plunder. They drove the believers 
from their homes and out of the land. Most of these 
fled to the land of Jershon, whither the priesthood had 
preceded them. 

The land of Jershon was inhabited by the people 
of Amnion. They also had left home and country for 
the truth's sake, and now that others were suffering from 
the same cause, they received them with open arms. 
They fed and clothed those who needed such help, and 
gave them lands whereon they might build up new 
homes. 

When the wicked Zoramites heard of the kind 
reception their injured fellow-citizens had received in 
Jershon they were greatly angered. They were not 
content to spoil them themselves, but they wanted to 
make them fugitives and vagabonds on the face of the 
whole earth. Their leader, a very wicked man, sent 
messages to the Ammonites, desiring them to expel the 
refugees, adding many threats of what would follow, 
should his cruel demand not be complied with. But the 
Ammonites were a brave people ; they had already suf- 
fered unto death for the cause of God, and they were 
not of the stamp to desert their afflicted brethren. 
Rather than do so, they would again forsake their 
homes and find in some other region a land of peace. 
For we must remind our readers that the Ammonites 
had entered into covenant with God never again to 
bend the bow or draw the sword to take human life. 
They, therefore, withdrew to the land of Melek, whilst 
the armies of the Nephites occupied the land of 
Jershon. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



ANOTHER WAR— MORONI, THE LEADER OF THE NEPHITES — 
THE TACTICS OF THE LAMANITES— ZERAHEMNAH— THE 
BATTLE AT RIPLAH— DEFEAT OF THE LAMANITES. 

'T^HE CAUSE which led the Nephite armies to occupy 



Jershon was that the Zoramites, finding that their 
haughty and unjust demands would not be complied 
with, had excited the Lamanites to invade the territory 
of the Nephites. The Lamanite forces, which were 
commanded almost entirely by Nephite apostates, on 
account of their fierce hatred to their former associates, 
marched first into the land of [ Antionum, where they 
were joined by the Zoramites. Then the whole of the 
invading hosts, under the command of a dissenter 
named Zerahemnah, advanced northward towards the 
land of Jershon. 

This was a day of peril for the Nephites. Their 
enemies were much more numerous than they, and were 
filled with a savage thirst for blood, which was espe- 
cially felt against those who were of their own race and 
kindred who had bowed in obedience to heaven's com- 
mands. At this juncture the Lord raised up one of the 
greatest heroes ever born on American soil. He was 
not only a military leader, but a priest and prophet, 
and by his inspiration and devoted courage the Nephites 
were for many years led to uninterrupted victory. 
Such was Moroni, who now, though but twenty-five 




1 7 8 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



years old, took the chief command of the armies of 
his nation. 

Though the forces of the Lamanites were much 
more numerous, all other advantages were on the side 
of their foes. The discipline of the Nephites was 
better by far; the bodies of their soldiers were protected 
by armor, breastplates, helmets, shields, etc., and they 
were fighting for the sacred cause of their religion and 
their country, their altars and their firesides, their wives 
and their little ones. Inspired by the justness of their 
cause and the extremity of their circumstances, they 
fought with a courage and a desperation never ex- 
ceeded in their annals. 

The Lamanites, on the other hand, had no such 
holy impulses to nerve their arms for the combat. 
They were the aggressors, and were hasting to shed 
the blood of their brethren. Insane and infernal 
hatred alone inspired them for the warfare. Besides, 
they were ill prepared to meet the Nephites, who had 
such a tactician as Moroni for their commander-in-chief. 
The descendants of Lainan were simply armed with 
swords and cimiters, bows and arrows, slings and stones. 
Their bodies were naked with the exception of a skin 
wrapped about their loins. The Zoramites and other 
dissenters from the Nephites were better clothed; in 
dress they followed the fashion of the people from 
whom they sprang. 

The Lamanites, finding that Moroni was too well 
prepared for their attack on the land of Jershon, 
retired through Antionum into the wilderness, where 
they changed direction and inarched towards the head- 
waters of the river Sidon, with the intention of taking 
possession of the land of Manti. But Moroni was too 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



I 79 



vigilant to allow his enemies to slip away without 
knowing what had become of them. He had his spies 
w r atch the movements of Zerahemnah's forces, and in 
the meanwhile sent to Alma to inquire the mind and 
will of the Lord with regard to his future course. 
The word of the Lord was given to Alma, and he 
informed Moroni's messengers of the movements of 
the Lamanites. The young general, with becoming 
prudence, then divided his army. One corps he left to 
protect Jershon, and with the remainder he advanced 
by rapid marches towards Manti, by the most direct 
route. On his arrival he at once mustered all the men 
who could bear arms into his forces, to help in the 
defense of their rights and their liberties against the 
advancing foe. So rapid had been his movements and 
so prompt had been the response to his calls that when 
the Lamanites reached the neighborhood of the Sidon 
he was prepared for their coining. 

The battle that was fought when the opposing 
armies met was one of the most stubborn and bloody 
in Nephite history. Never from the beginning had 
the Lamanites been known to fight with such exceed- 
ing great strength and courage. Time after time their 
hosts rushed upon the well ordered ranks of the 
Nephites, and notwithstanding the latter's armor they 
clove in their heads and cut off their arms. But the 
cost of these charges to their own numbers was terrible. 
The battle began at a hill called Riplah, and afterwards 
extended to both banks of the Sidon. At one time a 
lull took place in the carnage, and Moroni, who had no 
pleasure in the shedding of blood, made an offer of 
such terms of surrender as he considered the circum- 
stances warranted. But Zerahemnah and other cap- 



i8o 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



tains of the Lamanite hosts rejected the offer and nrged 
their troops to renewed resistance. So the battle recom- 
menced with unabated ferocity. At last the faith and 
valor of the Nephites prevailed; many of the Laman- 
ites surrendered and agreed to a covenant of peace. 
Even Zerahemnah himself, wounded and scalped by 
one of Moroni's body guard, to prevent the total anni- 
hilation of his armies, at last consented to the proposed 
terms and entered into the required covenant of peace. 
So great were the losses on both sides, especially of the 
Lamanites, that the dead were not numbered. 

Thus ended the war, but not the Zoramite heresy, 
for we read, in the history of later wars between the two 
nations, of certain Lamanite captains being of the 
Zoramites. Foiled in their attempts to destroy their 
former brethren and to overthrow the Church of God, 
they still adhered to their false faith, and on every pos- 
sible occasion made manifest their undying hatred to 
those whose only offense was that they would not join 
them in their crimes nor consent to the destruction of 
the liberties of the people. 




CHAPTER XXIX. 



ALMA'S CHARGE TO HIS SONS — HE TRANSFERS THE RECORDS 
TO HELAMAN— HE LEAVES THIS WORLD — ZEEZROM'S- 
LATTER DAYS — HELAMAN'S MINISTRATIONS. 

^/^LMA was now growing old. Notwithstanding his 
unceasing efforts and fervent prayers, the Nephites 
were again backsliding into iniquity. To every 
Nephite city, and to every Nephite land he went or sent, 
to revive the gospel fires in the souls of the inhabitants. 
But many became offended because of the striclness of 
the gospel's laws, which forbade not only sin itself, but 
the very appearance of sin. As this feeling grew y 
Alma's heart became exceedingly sorrowful and he 
mourned the depravity of his people. 

Like many of the ancient patriarchs, when they 
felt that their mortal career was drawing to its close, he 
called his sons to him, and gave them his last charge 
and blessing ; speaking to each as the spirit of instruc- 
tion and prophecy inspired. To Helaman, his eldest, 
he transferred the custody of the sacred plates, with 
many words of warning and caution regarding them. 
With hearts strengthened and renewed by the inspira- 
tion of his fervent admonitions, his sons went forth 
among the people ; nor could Alma himself rest while 
there was a soul to save or a wrong to make right. He 
also went forth once again, in the spirit of his holy 
calling, and raised his voice in advocacy of the princi- 
ples of the everlasting gospel. 

It was in the nineteenth year of the Judges (B. C. 
73), that Alma took his beloved son, Helaman, and 
after having discovered, through divers questions, the 



1 82 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 




strength and integrity of his faith, he prophesied to 
him of many important events in the distant future, 
especially with regard to the destruction of the 
Nephites. This prophecy he commanded him to record 
on the plates, but not to reveal to any one. Alma 
then blessed Helaman, also his other sons ; indeed he 
blessed all who should stand firm in the truth of Christ 
from that time forth. Shortly after this he departed 
out of the land of Zarahemla, as if to go to the land of 
Melek, and was never heard of more. Of his death 
and burial no men were witnesses. Then the saying 
went abroad throughout the church that the Lord had 
taken him, as he before time had taken Moses. This 
event occurred exactly one hundred years from the 
time of the elder Alma's birth. 

After the departure of Alma we learn no more of 
the life of his associate Zeezrom, though his name and 
teachings are more than once referred to by later serv- 
ants of God. We also read of a city of Zeezrom, and, 
as it was the custom of the Nephites to name their 
cities, towns and villages after whoever founded them, 
it is highly probable that, in the colonization of the 
country so vigorously carried on in the age that 
these men lived, he commenced the building of this 
place, and it would not be unreasonable to believe that 
he dwelt in the midst of its citizens as their high priest 
or chief judge. 

Alma's son Helaman appears to have succeeded 
him as the presiding High Priest. After Alma's 
departure from this earth Helaman and others went 
through the cities of the Nephites and regulated the 
affairs of the church. Owing to the pride of many who 
would not give heed to the instructions given them, nor 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 1 83 

walk uprightly, dissensions arose, which in after years 
led to numerous evils, among the greatest of which was 
a long continued war, or series of wars, between the 
faithful Nephites on one side, and the apostates, and 
afterwards the Lamanites, on the other. Still, for four 
years, Helaman and his associate priesthood were 
enabled to maintain order in the church. Many died in 
full faith of the gospel and in the joyous hope of its 
never-ending rewards ; indeed, during that period there 
was much peace and great prosperity enjoyed by those 
who remained faithful. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

AMALICKIAH — HIS APOSTASY AND TREASON — MORONI'S 
TITLE OF LIBERTY— THE NEPHITES RESPOND TO HIS 
CALL — LEHONTI — HE IS POISONED BY AMALICKIAH — 
THE KING OF THE LAMANITES TREACHEROUSLY SLAIN— 
AMALICKIAH MARRIES THE QUEEN AND IS PROCLAIMED 
KING— A DISASTROUS LAMANITE RAID. 

pEACE, however, was but short lived. Internal dis- 
sensions created by the intrigues of apostates 
and royalists convulsed the Nephite community. 
The rebels were led by a descendant of Zoram, the 
servant of Laban, named Amalickiah, one of the most 
ambitious, cunning and unscrupulous characters that 
ever disgraced the history of ancient America. It was 
a perilous day for the Nephite nation when this subtle 
creature bent all his brilliant energies to the fulfil- 
ment of his ambitious dreams. True, he had been a 



i84 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



member of Christ's holy church, but now the love of 
God had given place to the hatred of his servants ; he 
was the citizen of a republic, but he aspired to over- 
throw its liberties, and reign as king over his fellow 
citizens. Indeed he had cherished thoughts of still 
greater power, even to be monarch of the entire con- 
tinent; both Nephite and Lamanite should bow to his 
undisputed s^ray. Such were his nightly dreams, and 
the continual thoughts of his waking hours, and to 
this end he bent all the energies of his mind, all the 
craft of his soul, all the cunning of his tongue, all the 
weight of his influence. With promises rich as the gold 
of Ophir and numerous as the snowflakes in a winter's 
hurricane, he beguiled his weaker fellows; men who, 
like him, loved power, hated the truth, delighted in 
iniquity, but who had not the lofty ambition, the unhal- 
lowed valor, and the deep designing cunning that dis- 
tinguished their leader. To his call the dissatisfied, 
the corrupt and the apostate rallied. 

Opposed to him stood Moroni, the dauntless leader 
of the armies of the Nephites. Inspired by an 
unquenchable love for truth and liberty, he sensed 
with every heart's pulsation that no man could fight 
for a holier, more glorious cause than virtue and liberty. 
Thus inspired, he tore a portion of his robe from its 
surrounding parts, and inscribing thereon his battle 
cry, he lifted it high upon a pole. Then girding on his 
armor, incasing his head with its fit covering, shielding 
his body with its breastplates, placing the proper pieces 
round his thighs and loins, he kneeled in humble, 
heartfelt prayer before Jehovah, presented his "Title 
of Liberty" before him and asked his blessing, protec- 
tion, guidance and victorious aid in the coming struggle. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



187 



Then lie gathered the hosts of the Nephites; from 
place to place he sped, waving in the air the ensign on 
which all could read the burning words he had in- 
scribed: In memory of our God, our religion and free- 
dom, and our peace, our wives and our children. 

Nor did he cry in vain; the patriot Nephites, the 
members of the Church of Christ, hastened with ready 
feet to the response. The streets of Zarahemla were 
alive with the gathering hosts. Each warrior, to show 
his devotion to the liberties with which God had 
endowed them, and his fealty to the Great Giver, rent 
his robe, as the young general had done, and thereby 
made covenant with God and his brethren to be faith- 
ful and true, in life and in death, in the council chamber 
and on the battle field, while an enemy remained to 
menace their liberties, national or religious. 

Nor was Zarahemla alone in the manifestation of 
her patriotic love. Moroni's stirring appeal was spread 
far and wide throughout the lands of the Nephites. 
Swift-footed, banner-bearing messengers hastened down 
the Sidon's banks to the dwellers in the north, arous- 
ing the patriots of each peaceful city to the peril of the 
hour. Onward they hurried until Desolation echoed 
back to Bountiful the battle cry of liberty. Others 
gave no rest to the soles of their feet until Mulek, and 
her sister cities that lined the Caribbean Sea had flung 
from their tower tops the hallowed banner. Through 
the narrow defiles and rocky canyons that lay between 
the Andes' loft}' peaks, other couriers pushed their 
unwearied way into the western wilderness and hence 
to the Pacific's strand, until every city held by Nephites 
had gathered her sons to the defense of their rights and 
their liberties, their altars and their firesides. Nor 



i88 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



were Manti and the other cities of the south forgotten; 
the faithful and the brave who lined the borders of the 
great southern wilderness heard the rallying cry. 
From every city, even- vale, the converging hosts 
poured forth with sword and spear, with bow and arrow, 
with slings and stones ; while from the top of every 
tower and citadel throughout the Nephites' land, the 
sacred standard fluttered in the breeze. Men of strong 
arms and stout hearts were the\ T , of faith unfaltering, 
and courage undiminished. 

No wonder, then, that when Amalickiah's emis- 
saries brought the evil-boding news of this great 
awakening to his unwilling ears, that he faltered in his 
purpose, that his followers lost heart, that retreat was 
deemed the fittest show of wisdom, and discretion the 
better part of valor. No wonder that when, by Moroni's 
vigilance, that retreat was cut off, that the rebels suc- 
cumbed and surrendered, that Amalickiah fled for 
safety to the Lamanites, and that the " Title of Liberty" 
continued to float uninterruptedly from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific coast, as far as Nephi's children ruled or 
Nephite homes were found, and that Moroni and his 
people rejoiced with intensified jo} T in their liberties, 
now more than ever dear to them through the valorous 
efforts they had put forth for their preservation. 

When Amalickiah fled to the court of the king of 
the Lamanites he evolved a plot worthy of a demon, 
which only ceased with life. He was a Napoleon in 
ambition and diplomacy, and possibly also in military 
skill. On the first favorable opportunity after reaching 
the Lamanite court, he commenced to rekindle the fires 
of hatred toward his former friends. At first he was 
unsuccessful, the recollection of their late defeats was 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 189 

too fresh in the memory of the multitude. The king 
issued a war proclamation, but it was disregarded. 
Much as his subjects feared the imperial power, they 
dreaded a renewal of war more. Many gathered to resist 
the royal mandate. The king, unused to such objec- 
tions, raised an army to quell the advocates of peace, 
and placed it under the command of the now zealous 
Amalickiah. 

The peace-men had chosen an officer named 
Lehonti for their king and leader, and he had assem- 
bled his followers at a mountian called Antipas. 
Thither Amalickiah marched, but with no intention of 
provoking a conflict; he was working for the good feel- 
ings of the entire Lamanite people. On his arrival he 
entered into a secret correspondence with Lehonti, in 
which he agreed to surrender his forces on condition 
that he should be appointed second in command of the 
united armies. The plan succeeded. Amalickiah 
surrendered to Lehonti and assumed the second posi- 
tion. Lehonti now stood in the way of his ambition ; 
it was but a little thing to remove him : he died by slow 
poison administered by Amalickiah 's command. 

Amalickiah now assumed supreme command, and 
at the head of his forces he marched towards the 
Lamanite capital. The king, supposing that the 
approaching hosts had been raised to carry the war 
into Zarahemla, came out of the royal city to greet 
and congratulate him. As the monarch drew near he 
was traitorously slain by some of the creatures of the 
subtle general, who at the same time raised the hue 
and cry that the king's own servants were the authors 
of the vile deed. Amalickiah assumed all the airs of 
grief, affection and righteous indignation that he 

i2 



190 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



thought would best suit his purpose. He uext made 
apparently desperate, but purposely ineffectual, efforts 
to capture those who were charged with the crime, and 
so adroitly did he carry out his schemes, that before 
long he wheedled himself into the affections of the 
queen, whom he married, and he was recognised by the 
Lamanites as their king. Thus far his ambition was 
realized, but it was far from satisfied; ambition sel- 
dom is. 

Amalickiah now cherished the stupendous design 
of subjugating the Nephites and ruling singly and alone 
from ocean to ocean (B. C. 73). To accomplish this 
iniquitous purpose, he despatched emissaries in all 
directions, whose mission was to stir up the angry pas- 
sions of the populace against the Nephites. When 
this vile object was sufficiently accomplished, and the 
deluded people had become clamorous for war, he raised 
an immense army, armed and equipped with an excel- 
lence never before known among the Lamanites. This 
force he placed under the command of Zoramite offi- 
cers, and ordered its advance into the western posses- 
sions of the Nephites, where, amongst others, stood the 
cities of Ammonihah and Noah. 

The Nephites, during this time, had been watching 
Amalickiah's movements and energetically preparing 
for war. When the Lamanites reached Ammonihah 
they found it too strongly fortified to be taken by 
assault; they therefore retired to Noah, originally a very ' 
weak place, but now, through Moroni's foresight and 
energy, made stronger than Ammonihah. The Zoram- 
ite officers well knew that to return home without hav- 
ing attempted something would be most disastrous, 
and therefore, though with little hope, made an assault 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



I 9 I 



upon Noah. This step resulted in throwing away a 
thousand lives outside its walls, while its well-protected 
defenders had but fifty men wounded. After this 
disastrous attempt the Lamanites marched home. 
Great was the anger of Amalickiah at the miscarriage 
of his schemes ; he cursed God and swore he would yet 
drink the blood of Moroni. 

During the next year the Lamanites were driven out 
of the great eastern wilderness, which was occupied by 
numerous Nephite colonies, who laid the foundations of 
several new cities along the Atlantic coast. Moroni 
also established a line of fortifications along the Ne- 
phites' southern border, which stretched from one side 
of the continent to the other. 



A FEW YEARS OF PEACE— TEANCUM — THE CONTENTION 
BETWEEN LEHI AND MORIANTON — AM ALJCKIAH ' S TER- 
RIBLE INVASION— HIS SUCCESS — HE IS STOPPED AT 
BOUNTIFUL BY TEANCUM— TEANCUM SLAYS AMALICKIAH 
— AMMORON MADE KING OF THE LAMANITES. 

A FEW YEARS of peace and prosperit}^ now fol- 



lowed. The Nephites multiplied exceedingly 
and grew very rich. They were also greatly blessed of 
the Lord; and the sacred historian informs us there 
never was a happier time among the people of Nephi 
than at this time. Sad to say, this blessed era lasted 
but a few years. A local quarrel between two cities on 



CHAPTER XXXI. 




192 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the Atlantic sea-board regarding their respective 
boundaries was the cause of the first fresh outbreak- 
At this point we are introduced to another great general 
of the Nephites, named Teancum. 

Teancum appears to have had command of the 
Nephite army of the north (under the direction of 
Moroni, the commander-in-chief of all the forces of the 
republic), and to have had committed to him the 
defense of the land Bountiful and the Isthmus of Pan- 
ama. His first exploit to which our attenion is drawn 
is the defeat of the dissatisfied people of Morianton, 
who, having unjustly quarreled with their neighbors, 
the people of the city of Lehi, and being apparently 
aware of the unrighteousness of their cause, determined 
to migrate to the land northward, and there establish 
an independent government. 

Such a movement being evidently dangerous to the 
peace and stability of the republic, Moroni determined 
to prevent the accomplishment of their scheme. He 
dispatched Teancum with a body of troops to head 
them off. This the gallant officer succeeded in doing, 
but not until they had reached the Isthmus, when a 
stubbornly fought battle ensued, in which Teancum 
slew Morianton with his own hand, and compelled the 
surrender of his followers. (B. C. 68.) The prison- 
er^ ;vere brought back, the grievances of the two people 
were investigated, a union between them brought about, 
and both were restored to their own lands. 

In the following year (B. C. 67), Amalickiah 
commenced his devastating invasion of the Atlantic 
provinces of the Nephites. Commencing at Moroni, 
on the extreme southeast, he gradually advanced north- 
ward, capturing and garrisoning all the Nephite cities 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



193 



along the coast, until toward the close of the year he 
reached the borders of the land Bountiful, driving the 
forces of the republic before him. At this point he 
was met by Teancum and a corps of veterans renowned 
for their courage, skill and discipline. The Lamanite 
leader endeavored to force his way to the Isthmus, with 
the intention of occupying the northern continent. In 
this he was foiled, for the trained valor of Teancum's 
warriors was too much for that of Amalickiah's half- 
savage hordes. All day the fight lasted, and at night the 
worn out soldiers of the two armies camped close 
together, the Lamanites on the sea-beach, and the 
Nephites on the borders of the land Bountiful. 

It was the last night of the old year, according to 
Xephite reckoning. The great heat and the terrible 
efforts of the da} 1 - had overcome both officers and men. 
The murmur of the Atlantic's waves sounded a soft 
lullaby in the ears of Amalickiah and his hosts, who, 
for the first time during the campaign, had suffered a 
check in their triumphal march. Even Amalickiah 
slept; but not so with Teancum. He was brooding 
over the wrongs and perils of his beloved country, as 
well as his own sufferings, both the deadly fruit of one 
man's unholy ambition. As he pondered he grew more 
angry, and at last he determined by one desperate stroke 
to put an end to the war; or, if not that, at least to slay 
the cause of it. Taking one servant with him, he se- 
cretly stole out of his own camp into that of the enemy. 
A deathlike silence reigned in both. Cautiously and 
unobserved he searched out the royal tent. There lay 
the foe, there lay his guards, all overcome with resist- 
less fatigue. To draw his javelin, thrust it into the 
king's heart and then flee, was but the work of a 



r 9 4 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



moment, and so adroitly did he fulfil his purpose that 
Amalickiah died without a struggle or a cry, and it was 
not until the morning that his guards discovered that 
the hosts of Laman were without a head. 

When Teancum returned to his own warriors he 
awoke them from their slumbers and rehearsed to them 
all that he had done. It is not difficult to imagine 
their enthusiasm, which, for fear they should arouse the 
enemy, they were compelled to restrain. They, how- 
ever, kept a strong guard on the alert, lest when the 
Lamanites awoke and discovered that their king was 
dead, they should in their anger make a sudden 
onslaught on the Nephite lines. This thought, how- 
ever, was not realized. When the Lamanites found 
that Amalickiah was slain, they hastily retreated to 
the fortified city of Mulek. 

Amalickiah was succeeded on the Lamanitish 
throne by his brother Ammoron, who continued the 
war with unrelenting vindicliveness. 





CHAPTER XXXII. 



JACOB THE ZOR AMITE — HIS CHARACTERISTICS— THE STRAT- 
EGY BY WHICH MUDEK WAS TAKEN— THE FIERCE 
BATTLE BETWEEN JACOB AND THE NEPHITE FORCES — 
JACOB'S DEATH. 

^jpHE GENERAL who commanded the Lamanite 
forces at Mulek was named Jacob. He was a 
Nephite apostate, who had accepted the errors of the 
Zoramites. His appointment was one characteristic of 
the prevailing policy of Amalickiah and of his suc- 
cessor, Ammoron. It was to give the command of the 
Lamanite armies to men who, like themselves, were 
traitors to their own government; for, in such cases, to 
military knowledge was almost invariably added intense 
religious hate, which neither asked nor gave quarter on 
the battlefield, but fought to the last extremity with 
unconquerable fury. 

Such a one was Jacob. He had entrenched him- 
self in the strongly fortified city of Mulek, the most 
northern of the Nephite cities that had fallen into the 
enemy's hands. It was a key to the surrounding 
country. While it remained in Lamanite possession it 
was very little use for Moroni, the Nephite commander- 
in-chief, to attempt to recover the cities that lay along 
the shores of the east sea yet farther south. The 
Nephite generals did not consider themselves justified 
in making an attempt to carry the place by assault. 
Such an effort would have cost too many noble lives, 
and probably have proven unsuccessful. Moroni had 
with him at this time two of his most trusted lieuten- 



198 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

ants, Lehi and Teancum, both of whom were little 
inferior to the chief captain in wisdom and valor. At a 
council of war it was determined to attempt the capture 
of Mulek by strategy. They had already sent embas- 
sies to Jacob desiring him to bring his armies into the 
open plain to meet the Nephites in battle, but the 
Lamanite commanders were too well acquainted with 
the discipline and courage of the Nephite forces to 
take such a risk. There was, therefore, but one plan 
left, other than to patiently sit down before the city 
and reduce it by a regular siege, and that was to decoy 
a portion of its defenders beyond the protection of its 
walls, and when it was thus weakened to carry it by 
storm. Moroni determined on this course. 

By command of Moroni, the gallant Teancum, 
with a small force, marched along the sea shore to the 
neighborhood of Mulek; while Moroni, with the main 
body of the army, unperceived by the enemy, made a 
forced march by night into the wilderness which lay 
on the west of the city. There he rested. Lehi, with 
a third corps, remained in the city of Bountiful. 

On the morrow, Teancum's small division was dis- 
covered by the Lamanite outposts, and from the small- 
ness of its numbers they judged it would fall an easy 
prey. Jacob at once sallied forth at the head of his 
warriors to attack the presumptuous Nephites. On 
their approach Teancum cautiously retreated along the 
sea shore towards the city of Bountiful. Jacob fol- 
lowed in vigorous pursuit. Moroni, in the meanwhile, 
divided his army into two corps, one of which he dis- 
patched to capture the city, and with the other he 
closed in between Jacob's army and Mulek. The first 
corps accomplished its work without difficulty, for 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 199 

Jacob had left but a small force behind him, and all 
who would not surrender were slain. 

The Lamanites crowded after Teancuni in hot pur- 
suit until they came nigh unto Bountiful, when they 
were met by Lehi and the small force under his com- 
mand. At his appearance the Lamanite captains fled 
in confusion, lest they should be out-generaled and cut 
off from their fortifications. Jacob's warriors were 
weary by reason of their long and hasty advance, while 
Lehi's soldiers were fresh and unfatigued. But Lehi 
refrained from pressing too vigorously on his retreat- 
ing foes, as his object, was not to exhaust his men until 
the hour of battle came, and he was anxious to avoid a 
conflict, till he and Moroni could at the same moment 
attack the Lamanites in front and rear. 

When Jacob drew near the city he found himself 
confronted by the soldiers of Moroni, who closed in 
around his warriors and barred their further progress 
southward; while Lehi, putting forth his pent-up ener- 
gies, fell with fury on their rear. Weary and worn 
though his troops were, Jacob would not surrender. 
Whatever his faults may have been, and the}- were 
undoubtedly numerous, he had a resolute, unconquer- 
able spirit that would fight to the last. He deter- 
mined, if possible, to cut his way through to Mulek. 
With this intent he made a desperate, though inef- 
fectual, charge on Moroni's lines. The Nephites being 
fresh and unwearied, never wavered, but received the 
shock firm as a rock upon which the waves of the 
ocean break in vain. The battle here raged with 
indescribable fierceness, and with heavy losses to both 
sides. The wild Lamanites, in the frenzy of despera- 
tion, dashed with all their strength and prowess against 



200 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

the well-ordered ranks of the Nephites in the one 
absorbing endeavor to force their way through. While 
the Nephites, in the heroic courage which religion and 
patriotism inspire, stood cool and undismayed, break- 
ing the force of the shock of each charge, then 

On the wounded and the slain, 
Closed their diminished files again. 

to receive the next onslaught. In this desperate 
encounter Moroni was wounded and Jacob slain. 

While Jacob was thus impetuously charging on 
Moroni's corps, Lehi with his "strong men" was as 
furiously driving in the Lamanite rear. At last the 
soldiers of Jacob in that part of the field surrendered. 
Their leader being slain, the remainder of the troops 
hesitated between throwing down their arms and con- 
tinuing the hopeless strife. Moroni, with his intense 
hatred of unnecessary bloodshed, when he noticed 
that they wavered, cried out that if they would lay 
down their weapons and deliver themselves up he 
would spare their lives. His offer was accepted. The 
chief captains, who remained, came forward and placed 
their weapons at his feet and commanded their men to 
do the same. Most of the warriors obeyed, yet num- 
bers would not. They preferred death to surrender, and 
force had to be used to wrest their weapons from them. 
The Ivamanite prisoners were then sent under an escort 
to the city of Bountiful, and when counted were found 
to exceed in numbers the slain on both sides in the 
late battle. Thus fell Mulek, and thus died its de- 
fender, Jacob the Zoramite. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



THE WAR IN THE SOUTHWEST — ANTIPUS— HELAM AN AND 
HIS TWO THOUSAND SONS— THEIR VALOR AND FAITH — 
THE REPULSE OF THE LAMANITES. 

^HpHE WAR had been raging several years, and was 



working disastrously to the Nephites, when the 
people of Ammon, feeling that they were a burden 
rather than a help to their benefactors, though indeed 
they were not, desired to be released from their oath 
and covenant never again to take up deadly weapons 
against their fellows. They desired in this hour of 
extreme peril to take up arms in defense of the liber- 
ties of their adopted country. From this rash step 
Helaman and his brethren dissuaded them, lest by so 
doing they should imperil their eternal salvation. 
But they had sons who had grown far towards man- 
hood who had not entered into this covenant, and con- 
sequently were not shut off from participating in the 
dangers and the glories of the war. So with their 
fathers' and mothers' consent, faith, prayers and words 
of encouragement, two thousand of these youths were 
mustered into the Nephite army (B. C. 66). These 
striplings were all men of truth, faith, soberness and 
integrity, and were conspicuous for their courage, 
strength and activity. Being organized they desired 
that Helaman, for whom they had great love and 
respect, should be their leader. He consented, and at 
their head marched to the relief of the forces of the 
republic that were struggling against considerable odds 
on the southern borders of the Nephite dominions, 
from the shores of the Pacific Ocean eastward. 




202 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Helainan found the Nephite forces, numbering 
about six thousand warriors, in a somewhat deplorable 
condition. The Lamanites, in the strength of greatly 
superior numbers, had captured the cities of Manti, 
Cumeni, Zeezrom and Antiparah, and held possession 
of the country round about. These cities had not 
been taken without much bloodshed on both sides. 
The Nephites especially had lost large numbers in 
prisoners, who were generally put to death hy their 
captors, except the superior officers, who were sent to 
the land of Nephi. Antipus, the Nephite commander, 
was locked up in the city of Judea, where, despirited 
and weakened by excessive toil and fighting, his troops 
were making a desperate and painful effort to fortify 
the city. The arrival of Helaman and his corps 
brought hope and joy again to their hearts, and renewed 
vigor to their endeavors. 

King Ammoron, learning that reinforcements had 
reached the defenders of Judea, ordered all active oper- 
ations to be suspended for a season. This suspension 
was most providential for the soldiers of Antipus, as it 
gave them time to finish the work of fortifying the 
beleaguered city, and also to recruit their health and 
energies. By the commencement of the following 3-ear 
the works of defense were completed, and the Nephites 
became anxious for the onslaught they had so greatfy 
dreaded a few months previous. But they were disap- 
pointed. The Lamanites did not feel sufficiently strong 
to renew aggressive movements. They contented 
themselves with occupying the Nephite cities they had 
already captured. In the second month of this year 
(B. C. 65) a convoy of provisions and two thousand 
additional warriors arrived from the land of Zarahemla. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 203 

The Nephites in the city of Judea were now ten thou- 
sand strong, with abundant provisions, and they were 
anxious for a forward movement in order, if possible, to 
retake some of their cities in the hands of the enemy. 

Antipus and Helaman resolved on a ruse to entice 
the Lamanites from behind their fortifications. It was 
decided that Helaman and his command should inarch 
out of Judea with the apparent intention of carrying 
supplies to one of the cities in the hands of the Nephites, 
that was built near the seashore. In executing this 
manoeuver, they purposely passed at no great distance 
from the city of Antiparah, in which was stationed the 
most numerous of the Lamanite armies, in the hope 
that the Lamanites would notice that their numbers 
were few, and thus be led to attack them. The strata- 
gem proved successful. The garrison of Antiparah 
issued forth in pursuit of Helaman, who, with all haste, 
retreated into the wilderness northward, his intent 
being to draw his pursuers as far as possible from 
Antiparah. When the Lamanites had started in pur- 
suit of Helaman, Antipus, with a considerable portion 
of his army, marched out of the city of Judea and fell 
in the Lamanites' rear. The retreat soon became a 
race. The Lamanites crowded forward with all possi- 
ble expedition in the endeavor to reach Helaman before 
Antipus caught them. Helaman, 011 the other hand, 
used his utmost energy to keep out of their clutches. 
Neither of the three bodies turned to the right or to 
the left, but kept straight on in the effort to out-march 
their foes. Night came and went, and on the morrow 
the double pursuit was still kept up. Another night 
fell, but neither dare turn from its course. 

On the third morning the race for life and victory 



204 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

was again renewed, bnt before long the Lamanites, 
concluding they could not overtake Helaman, suddenly 
stopped, and awaited the coming of Antipus and his 
weary soldiers, whom they unexpectedly attacked with 
great fury, slew Antipus and several of his captains, 
threw the Nephite troops into great confusion and 
forced them to commence a retreat. 

In the meantime, Helaman discovered that he was 
no longer pursued, and not knowing the reason, was in 
doubt what course to take. He called a hasty council 
of war, at which it was determined to return at once, 
and risk the chances of being caught in a trap by the 
crafty Lamanites. 

The statement which Helaman makes regarding 
the conduct of his young soldiers at this council is very 
interesting. After he had explained the situation to- 
them, he inquired, What say ye, my sons, will ye go 
against them in battle? Without hesitancy they 
answered in the affimative, saying: Father, behold our 
God is with us, and he will not suffer that we shall fall; 
then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if 
they would let us alone; therefore let us go lest they 
should overpower the army of Antipus. Here Helaman 
remarks : Now they never had fought, yet they did not 
fear death ; and they did think more of the liberty of 
their fathers than they did upon their lives ; yea, they 
had been taught by their mothers that if they did not 
doubt that God would deliver them. And they 
rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying, 
We do not doubt our mothers knew it. 

Helaman and his sons arrived none too soon on 
the field of battle. The soldiers of Antipus were- 
already fleeing before ;heir more numerous foes, but the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 205 

valor and impetuosity of the youthful Ammonites was 
irresistible. They fell on the Lamanite rear with a 
daring and miraculous strength possessed only by men 
who put their whole trust in God. Thus attacked in 
the rear, the Lamanites immediately halted, changed 
front, and threw their whole force against the Ammon- 
ites. The surviving officers of Antipus' army, find- 
ing that Helaman had come to their rescue, stopped the 
retreat, re-organized their scattered bands, and renewed 
the attack. The Lamanites were compelled to suc- 
cumb ; they could not resist the desperate courage of 
the Nephites that was driving them in at both front 
and rear. Their legions all surrendered, and, by Hela- 
man's orders, were sent as prisoners of war to Zara- 
hemla. 

And what about the young warriors of Ammon? 
So great was their faith, so potent its workings, thai 
when, after the battle, Helaman called the roll of his 
youthful heroes, not one was missing. The faith sown 
by their mothers' words had borne fruit — they were all 
preserved. To their undaunted prowess, for they 
fought as if with the strength of God, the Nephites 
unhesitatingly accorded the glory of the day. 

Still the hardly-contested war continued. Six 
thousand men, with provisions, reached Helaman from 
Zarahemla and the regions round about (B. C. 63), 
besides sixty more young Ammonites who had grown 
sufficiently vigorous to assume the hardships of mili- 
tary life. The city of Cumeni shortly afterwards 
surrendered through the want of provisions, their sup- 
plies having been continuously cut off by Helaman's 
troops. This surrender threw so many prisoners on 
the hands of the Nephites that they were unable to 



206 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



guard or feed them. An officer named Gid, with a 
sufficient force, was detailed to convey them to Zara- 
henila, but on their way, passing near to an invading 
"body of Lamanites, the prisoners made a desperate 
attempt to escape. A few succeeded in getting away, 
but the greater number were slain by their guard. Gid 
and his command returned to headquarters, as it 
proved, just in time, for the Lamanites had made a 
sudden and unexpected attack at Cumeni, and but for 
Gid's timely arrival the Nephite forces would probably 
have received a severe defeat. As it was, defeat was 
turned to victory by their coming. 

In this desperate battle every one of the young 
Ammonites was wounded, but not one was slain. 
According to the promise made to them they were pre- 
served by the marvelous power of God. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE RELIEF OF MANTI— THE OVERTHROW OF THE KING- 
MEN— PACHUS SLAIN— THE STRUGGLE AT MORONI — 
TEANCUM SLAYS AMMORON, BUT AT THE COST OF HIS 
OWN LIFE — TEANCUM'S NOBLE CHARACTER. 

^FTER THE battle at Cumeni, the Lamanites 
retreated eastward to Manti, which was situated 
on the upper waters of the Sidon. Nor was it for sev- 
eral months that this city could be taken, as owing to 
internal dissensions at the Nephite capital, and the 
attempts on the part of some of the people to overthrow 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 20J 

the republic and establish a monarchy, Pahoran, the 
chief judge, was unable to supply the necessary pro- 
visions and re-inforcements. 

In this strait Helaman and his fellow officers called 
on the Lord in fervent prayer, which was not un- 
answered. They received assurances of deliverance and 
victory. These blessed assurances inspired fresh faith 
and infused renewed courage in the war-weary hearts 
of those not given to the love of carnage. Fired 
with the determination, by God's grace, to conquer, 
they entered on a campaign against the city of Manti, 
which, by strategy, they captured before the end of the 
year (B. C. 63). The moral effect of this victory was 
so great that the Lamanites retreated into the wilder- 
ness, evacuating the whole of the territory on the west, 
but unfortunately taking with them, as prisoners, many 
women and children. 

For more than a year Moroni could not send the 
needed help to Helaman. The rebels in Zarahemla 
had driven the chief judge out of the city, and he had 
taken refuge in Gideon. From there he wrote to 
Moroni to come to his assistance, which that officer did 
at the earliest possible moment, leaving the armies in 
the northeast under the command of Lehi and Tean- 
cum. As he advanced he rallied the people on his 
line of inarch to the defense of the liberties of the 
republic, and was so successful that, after having 
joined the chief judge, Pahoran, he succeeded in 
overthrowing the "king men," killing their leader, 
Pachus, and completely crushing the rebellion. This 
being accomplished, he sent 6,000 men with the neces- 
sary provisions to reinforce Helaman (B. C. 61). 

The campaign during this year, along the Atlantic 

13 



2o8 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



coast, was a decisive one. At last the soldiers of 
Ammoron were driven ont of Omner, Morianton, Gid, 
Lehi, Nephihah, and every other Nephite city on that 
sea-board, except the outlying one, called Moroni, where 
the whole of the invading host was massed for a 
final desperate stand, and around which Moroni, with 
hurried and lengthened marches, had concentrated his 
warriors. 

It was the night before an expected decisive battle, 
and the Nephite officers and soldiers were too fatigued 
to either devise strategems or execute them. Teancum 
alone was in a condition of unrest. He remembered 
with intense bitterness all the bloodshed, woes, hard- 
ships, famine, etc., that had been brought about in this 
great and lasting war between the two races, which he 
rightly attributed to the infamous ambition of Amalick- 
iah and Ammoron. He reflected how he had slain the 
former, and determined that as he had slain Amalickiah, 
so should Ammoron fall. In his anger he stole forth 
into the enemy's camp, let himself over the walls of 
the city, sought out the king's tent, and when he had 
found the object of his search, he cast a javelin at 
him, which pierced him near the heart. But, unlike 
Amalickiah, Ammoron's death was not instantan- 
eous. He had time to wake his servant before he passed 
-away. The alarm was given, the guards started in 
pursuit; Teancum was overtaken, caught and slain. 
On the morrow Moroni attacked the Lamanites, defeated 
them with great slaughter, captured the city, and 
drove them entirely out of Nephite territory. (B. C. 
61). 

The writer of the Book of Alma records: When 
Lehi and Moroni knew that Teancum was dead, they 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



209 



were exceedingly sorrowful ; for behold, He had been a 
man who had fought valiantly for his country ; yea, a 
true friend to liberty, and he had suffered very many 
exceeding sore afflictions. But behold, he was dead, 
and had gone the way of all the earth. 

In that glorious galaxy of patriot-priests, or war- 
rior-prophets, call them which we may, to whose stern 
integrity, inspired valor, and unflinching virtue the 
Nephite republic, in the days of which we write, owed 
so much of its stability, and was so greatly indebted 
for its perpetuity, Teancum shines among the brightest. 
View him from whatever point we please, there is no mis- 
taking the man. His ardent disposition, his fiery impet- 
uosity, his zealous patriotism, his undaunted courage, 
his love of liberty, his entire disinterestedness, shine 
forth in every action. Indeed, we might almost call 
him rash, so little did he consider his personal safety 
when he thought the good of his country required the 
sacrifice. 

In picturing the heroes of those days, Teancum 
looms up before us almost as a Hotspur or Murat. 
In our mind's e}^e we can see him charging the solid 
phalanxes of the Lamanites, rushing at full speed 
towards the enemy several lengths ahead of his line of 
battle ; his commanding presence inspiring confidence, 
his unwavering voice ringing out the word of command, 
his bright armor shining in the sun, and his hair 
streaming from beneath his helmet, as, regardless of all 
save the liberties of his country, he falls upon the 
thickest of the foe, seeking out their chief captains, 
that by their death an end ma}- possibly be put to the 
horrors of war. Thus we find him slaying with his 
own hand, at different times, Morianton, Amalickiah 



2IO STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

and Ammoron. In fact, it is quite noticeable that in 
nearly all the great battles of this age, the Nephites 
appear to have made it a conspicuous part of their 
taffies to slay the commander of the opposing hosts. 
So fell Amlici, Morianton, Jacob, Coriantumr and 
others. 




CHAPTER XXXV. 

PEACE ONCE MORE— THE RESULTS OF THE WAR— THE 
LABORS OF HELAMAN— SHIBLON RECEIVES THE REC- 
ORDS— HAGOTH, THE SHIP-BUILDER— ANOTHER WAR— 
MORONIHAH— PAHORAN'S DEATH— CONTENTION REGARD- 
ING THE CHIEF JUDGESHIP — PAANCHI'S REBELLION — 
THE GADIANTON BANDS — ASSASSINATION OF PAHORAN 
II.— ANOTHER LAMANITE INVASION. 

J~N THE next year after the capture of the city of 
Moroni peace was established in all the land ; not a 
Lamanite warrior remained on Nephite soil. Then 
Pahoran returned to his judgment seat, and Helaman 
recommenced his labors in the ministry. 

The long-continued and savage war just closed 
had brought various evils to the church. In many 
parts of the land it may be said to have been disorgan- 
ized. The occupancy of so many of the Nephite cities 
by the unbelieving Lamanites had produced numerous 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 211 



demoralizing effects. Murders, contentions, dissen- 
sions and all manner of iniquity had become rife, and 
the hearts of the people had become hardened. Yet 
not altogether so, for there were some who acknowl- 
edged the hand of the Lord in all their afflictions. 
These humbled themselves in the depths of humility ; 
and because of the prayers of the righteous, the people 
were spared. 

Such was the state of affairs when Helaman went 
forth to call the people to repentance and set the 
church in order. In this blessed work he had much 
success, and with the help of his brethren he again 
established the Church of God throughout all the 
land. These labors he continued until the time of his 
death, and his joy therein was greatly increased by the 
continued faithfulness of the people. They, notwith- 
standing their abundant prosperity, which, as ever, 
followed their repentance, remained humble, fervent in 
prayer and diligent in welldoing. Such was the happy 
condition of the people of Nephi when Helaman died 
(B. C. 57), he having survived his illustrious father 
sixteen years. Shiblon, at the death of v his brother, 
took possession of the sacred things that had been 
delivered unto Helaman by Alma, and held them for 
four years. 

The next year (B. C. 56) the valiant Moroni, one 
of the greatest and most virtuous of God's sons, 
passed away from this state of mortality to the glories 
of eternity, at the early age of forty-three years. Some 
time before his death he had given the chief command 
of the armies of the Nephites to his son, Moronihah, 
who, from the history of later years, we judge to have 
been a worthy son of so illustrious a sire. 



212 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

The four years that Shiblon held the plates are 
principally noteworthy for the commencement of Ne- 
phite emigration to the northern continent. It was 
during this period that Hagoth established his ship- 
building yards on the Pacific, near the land of Bounti- 
ful. It is probable that ships were built by the Nephites 
before Hagoth's time, but he being an exceedingly 
expert mechanic, constructed much larger ones than 
had hitherto been built, and thus inaugurated a new 
feature in Nephite colonization.* 

When Shiblon died he committed the records 
to the care of Helaman, the son of his brother Hela- 
man. The history of the Nephites and Lamanites still 
continued a history of wars. In the same year that 
Shiblon died, the Lamanites again raised a numerous 
army and went down against their traditional foes. The 
campaign was a short one. Moronihah, the son of 
Moroni, inflicted a signal blow upon their advancing 
legions, and drove them back to their own lands. Their 
loss in this deservedly ill-fated expedition was great. 

Still this blood-thirsty race never seemed to gain 
experience by the things it suffered. This, no doubt, 
arose to a great extent from the continued irritation 
kept up by the wily apostates, who had much private 
spleen to gratify in the sufferings of the Nephites, and 
who held no particular love or respect for their credu- 
lous dupes and cat's-paws, the Lamanites. 

* These ships of Hagoth carried many colonies to the land north- 
ward ; as it was their custom to take one load of emigrants and when they 
had disembarked, to return for another. Some of these vessels were event- 
ually lost; that is, the ships and their passengers never reached their desti- 
nation. It is supposed by many that a part of them were carried out to mid- 
ocean by storms and probably wrecked ; and that the survivors found safety 
and shelter on some of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. In this way, it is 
suggested, the Hawaiian, Samoan and other islands were first peopled. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



213 



It was in the year B. C. 53 that Helaman took 
charge of the sacred plates, etc. In the next year 
Pahoran, the chief judge, died, which event gave rise to 
serious contention amongst the Nephite people. Three 
of his sons, named Pahoran, Pacumeni and Paanchi, 
were ambitious to fill the exalted position left vacant 
by their father's death. Each had his adherents and 
following, but, according to the national law, the matter 
was decided by the voice of the people, and Pahoran 
was chosen. 

Pacumeni assented to the decision of the citizens, 
but Paanchi attempted to raise a rebellion, for which 
crime he was arrested, tried by the law, and condemned 
to death. Still the more wicked part of the community 
supported his unlawful claims. These determined to 
slay Pahoran, which resolve they carried into efTecl:, and 
the chief judge was slain by an assassin named Kish- 
kumen. This foul murder was committed while the 
chief magistrate was sitting in the judgment seat 
administering the law, but through the connivance of 
the murderer's associates in iniquity he escaped. 

These lawless men bound themselves together by 
a secret oath and covenant, that they would never 
divulge who was the murderer of Pahoran, and they 
swore, by the most horrible oaths, one to another, to 
conceal each other's crimes, to aid and sustain each 
other in their villanies, and to carry out the designs 
and directions of their leaders. Over this band of con- 
spirators, assassins and robbers, Gadianton stood as the 
head. 

The next year after Pahoran's assassination, the 
Lamanites invaded the lands of the Nephites. The 
Lamanite armies were commanded by a Nephite dissen- 



214 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



ter named Coriantumr. He was a descendant of 
Zarahemla, therefore, presumedly, of the tribe of 
Judah. He determined on new and venturesome tac- 
tics, and caused his forces to make an unexpected dash 
through the Nephite territory. The Nephites every- 
where gave way before them. They marched through 
the center of the country, ravaging its most populous 
and richest districts. Before the astonished Nephites 
could collect their armies the enemy had assaulted and 
captured their beautiful and strongly fortified capital, 
and for the first time the savage soldiery of Laman 
held possession of the towers, temples and palaces of 
Zarahemla. On this occasion the chief judge, Pacu- 
meni, was slain. Intoxicated with his uninterrupted 
successes, the Lamanite general crowded yet further 
north, neglecting to keep up his line of communication 
in the rear. 

Coriantumr's hope was to obtain possession of the 
narrow isthmus which was the key to both continents. 
In this he failed. The Nephite commander first checked 
his progress northward, and then cut off his retreat. 
In a fierce battle that followed he was killed, his armies 
surrendered, and the remnants hastened ingloriously 
home, Moronihah, the Nephite commander, magnani- 
mously permitting them to return unmolested. (B. C. 

51.) 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



PACUMENI SLAIN— HELAMAN CHOSEN CHIEF JUDGE — THE 
CONSPIRACY TO SLAY HIM — KISHKUMEN KILLED — THE 
PROSPERITY OF THE NEPHITES UNDER HELAMAN. 



S PACUMENI, the chief judge, had been slain at 



the capture of Zarahemla, no sooner was the war 
over than an election took place to fill his vacant seat. 
The choice fell upon Helaman, the more righteous of 
the people providentially being still in the majority. 

Helaman being a God-fearing, just man, his elec- 
tion was very distasteful to the Gadianton band and its 
sympathizers. They resolved to slay him as they had 
before slain the younger Pahoran, and place Gadianton 
on the judgment seat in his stead. To accomplish 
this the same vile instrument was chosen — Kishkuinen. 
But the protecting hand of the great Jehovah was over 
and round about Helaman, and he preserved him from 
the assassin's knife. A servant of Helaman, possibly 
a detective commissioned in such times of peril to watch 
the movements of the dangerous classes, by disguise 
became acquainted with the doings of the robber band, 
and of their intentions towards his master. 

As Kishkumen was on his way to fulfil his bloody 
work, this servant, whose name is not recorded, met 
him, and gave him one of their secret signs. This 
admitted him into the confidence of the assassin, who 
explained his errand, and asked to be conducted pri- 
vately into the judgment hall, where Helaman was 
then sitting in the performance of his duties. This 
was agreed upon ; the two proceeded to where the mur- 
derer expected to find his victim. The strategy of the 




2l6 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



servant disarmed his suspicions, he was off his guard. 
At the opportune moment the servant stabbed Kish- 
kunien, and so adroitly did he perform his work, that 
the robber fell dead without a groan. The servant 
immediately ran to the judgment hall, and informed 
Helaman of all that he had heard, seen and done. With- 
out delay, orders were issued for the arrest of the band, 
but its members, finding that Kishkumen did not 
return, and fearing he had miscarried in his unholy 
work, under the guidance of their leader fled precipi- 
tately into the wilderness by a secret way, and, in the 
depths of its luxuriant vegetation, hid in a place where 
they could not be found. (B. C. 50). 

The succeeding }-ears were of peculiar prosperity, 
though not of great righteousness, amongst the Ne- 
phite people. They spread out and colonized in every 
direction. Many thousands emigrated to the northern 
continent, among them great numbers of Ammonites, 
who were originally Lamanites. Numerous new cities 
were built, and old ones repaired; ship building was 
largely carried on, and the arts and manufactures 
encouraged. Temples, tabernacles and sanctuaries 
were erected in great numbers ; in fact, the people 
spread out and covered both continents north and 
south, east and west. The sacred historian states that 
he has not recorded one hundredth part of the doings 
of the people — their wickedness and righteousness, 
their wars and contentions, their peace and prosperity; 
but many records were kept, upon which the history ot 
these things were engraved, and all that is necessary 
for the world's good will be brought to light in 
heaven's own time. 

The annals of the remainder of Helaman's rule 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 2IJ 

are very short. In the years B. C. 45 and 44 there 
were many contentions in the land, bnt in the latter 
portion of the sncceeding year they measurably ceased, 
and tens of thousands were baptized unto repentance. 
So great was the prosperity of the church at this time, 
that even the priesthood were surprised thereat, and at 
the multiplicity of blessings that were poured out upon 
the people. This happy state of affairs continued until 
the death of Helaman, though somewhat marred by the 
increasing pride and vanity that long-continued pros- 
perity had begotten in the hearts of many of the 
Christians. 

Helaman himself was a righteous man: He did 
observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and 
the commandments of God ; and he did do that which 
was right in the sight of God continually, and he did 
walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he 
did prosper in the land. So writes the historian of 
Helaman; what more can be said of any man? 

Helaman had two sons to whom he gave the 
names of Nephi and Lehi, to remind them, when they 
heard their own names called, of the faith and good- 
ness of their great ancestors, who, by God's direction, 
led their fathers to the promised land. When Hela- 
man died he was succeeded by his son Nephi. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



THE SONS OF HELAMAN — NEPHI'S RIGHTEOUS RULE J— 
THE UAMANITES AGAIN INVADE ZARAHEMLA— THEY 
DRIVE THE NEPHITES INTO THE NORTHERN CONTINENT 
— THE MINISTRATIONS OF NEPHI AND™UEHI — THE MANI- 
FESTATIONS OF GOD'S POWER IN THE CITY^OF NEPHI— 
AMINADAB— THE CONVERSION OF THE LAMANITES] — 
UNIVERSAL, PEACE. 

JN NEPHI we Have one of the greatest prophets that 
ever trod the earth, or to whom the God of our 
salvation revealed his glorious will. He lived during 
the greater portion of the first century before Christ, 
and disappeared from the knowledge of mankind but 
a short time before the advent of the Messiah as a babe 
in Bethlehem. He is first referred to in the Book of 
Mormon (B. C. 44) as the elder of Helaman's two sons, 
Lehi being the younger. These two brothers appear 
to have been inseparable during their lives. They are 
nearly always mentioned as associated in the great and 
oft-times perilous labors of the ministry undertaken 
for the salvation of either Nephites or Lamanites. 
We have no information with regard to the time of 
Nephi's birth, but when his father died, in the year B. 
C. 39, he succeeded him as chief judge, the duties of 
which office he filled with wisdom and justice for about 
nine years, when, owing to the wickedness of the peo- 
ple, he resigned that office, and Cezoram was chosen 
by the people in his stead (B. C. 30). 

The years that Nephi judged his people are some * 
of the darkest in Nephite history. Owing to their 
great pride and iniquity, the Lord left them to them- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 2IO, 

selves, and they became weak like unto the Lamanties, 
man for man. When war was declared, the latter, 
being much the more numerous, carried everything 
before them. In vain the Nephites struggled for their 
homes and their liberties. They were forced back by 
the hordes of the Lamanites from city to city, from land 
to land. Manti, Gideon, Cumeni, Moroni, and even 
Zarahemla fell. Nor did the war end when the blood- 
thirsty Lamanites held high carnival in the midst of its 
towers and palaces. Onward swept the invading host; 
backward fled the defenders of the commonwealth, 
and backward they continued until every town and 
city, every tower and fort, from Melek to Moroni, from 
Manti to Bountiful, were filled with the savage, half- 
disciplined, dark-skinned warriors of Laman. Not a 
place could be found in the whole southern continent 
where the soldiers of the Nephites successfully held 
their ground. Zarahemla, with its hallowed associa- 
tions, its glorious temples, where the daily sacrifice was 
unceasingly offered, its proud palaces, its luxurious 
homes, its courts of justice, where the chief judge sat 
in the magnificence of almost kingly authority to 
administer the law — this their queen city, the seat of 
their government, the centre of their civilization, the 
home of their highest priesthood, was in the hands of 
their merciless, vandal-like foes. Nor had the danger 
stopped; with hurried hands the Nephites built a line 
of defence across the Isthmus of Panama from sea to 
sea, for the unnumbered hosts of their conquerors were 
still pushing forward. This line of fortifications was 
effectual; it stopped the roll of the barbaric tide north- 
ward, and the Lamanite commanders rested with the 
possession of a continent. 



220 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



In this war the Nephite dissenters took active part 
against their white brethren, and to this fact, in part, 
may be attributed the sudden success that shone on the 
Lainanite arms. But little by little in succeeding years 
the half repentant Nephites regained their lost ground, 
until (B. C. 31) the most northerly half of their pos- 
sessions had again fallen into their hands ; but because 
of their only partial repentance, their leaders had not 
strength to lead them further, and Zarahemla still 
remained in the hands of the warriors of Laman. 

When Nephi retired from the judgment seat it 
was with the intention of devoting his entire time to 
the preaching of the gospel. He associated his brother 
Lehi with him, and commencing at the most northerly 
settlement on the southern continent, Bountiful, he 
journeyed and preached throughout all the land south- 
ward in the possession of the Nephites. From thence 
the two brothers passed onwards to Zarahemla, where 
they found many Nephite dissenters, to whom they 
proclaimed the word of God in great power. Numbers 
of these confessed their sins, were baptized unto repent- 
ance, and immediately returned to their brethren to 
repair, if possible, the wrongs they had done, and make 
such restitution as lay in their power. 

Numbers of the Lamanites also received the truth 
gladly, insomuch that eight thousand of that race were 
baptized in Zarahemla and the regions round about. 

From Zarahemla the prophets proceeded to the 
Lamanite capital in the land of Nephi, where yet 
mightier power attended them. The voice of God 
from heaven sustained their testimony; angels minis- 
tered to the people who assembled to see them ; neither 
prisons, nor chains, nor bonds could restrain or hold 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 221 



them, and they accomplished an ever blessed and 
marvelons work amongst the benighted children of 
Laman (B. C. 30). God's power was manifested at 
these times in mercy to the darkened condition of the 
minds of the Lamanites, when only extraordinary mani- 
festations of his divine goodness could, reach their 
hearts. They had no records to which they could appeal, 
and all their traditions were opposed to the Holy Being 
whose message of eternal joy the Nephite prophets 
bore. Thus in their weakness they were strengthened 
by signs and wonders which a people better educated in 
the things of God could with but ill grace claim. 

The story of the ministration of Nephi and Lehi 
in the land of Nephi is of the deepest interest. When 
they reached its chief city they were thrust into that 
same prison into which Ammon and his companions 
were cast by the guards of King Limhi. Here they 
were kept with little or no food for a number of da}^s. 
At the end of this time the officers of the Lamanites 
went to the prison with the intention of slaying the 
Iwo brothers. But to their intense surprise the 
Lamanites found them encircled about as if by fire. 
At this strange spectacle fear fell upon the officers. 
They dared not touch the two prisoners lest they should 
be burned. Yet when they saw that Nephi and Lehi 
were not consumed their hearts took courage, though 
they still stood as if struck dumb with amazement. 

At this point the two brethren stood forward and 
began to explain that what was seen was manifested 
that they might learn that no one could harm them, 
and that they were the servants of the Most High, and 
his almighty arm shielded them. Nor was this all : a 
sudden earthquake shook the ground, the prison walls 



222 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

tottered to their foundations, a pall of thick darkness 
covered all whom curiosity or other motives had 
gathered to the prison. The unburning flame, the 
tottering walls, the quivering earth, the impenetrable 
cloud of blackness, all conspired to fill the hearts of 
the Lamanites with solemn fear and awful dread. 
They realized the almighty power of God ; they were 
filled with the sense of their own abject insignificance. 
A voice, the voice of One whom they knew not, sounded 
in their affrighted ears. Once and again, yea, a 
third time, and each time that the voice came it was 
followed by the trembling of the earth and the shak- 
ing of the prison walls. All nature quivered at the 
presence of the Majesty on High, whilst the heavy, 
palpable, impenetrable, darkness still enshrouded them. 

From above the voice descended; it was outside the 
cloud ; its tones came not to their quaking hearts with 
the roar of the pealing thunder; nor was it like the 
tumultuous flow of angry waters; but a still voice 
of perfect mildness, almost a whisper, that pierced to 
their inmost souls. That voice was the voice of the 
mighty God of Jacob, and he called upon all those who 
heard him to repent, and to do his servants no hurt. 
With the third repetition of this command were added 
marvelous words of salvation that cannot be uttered by 
men. And because of the thick pall of darkness that 
enveloped them, and the fearful dread that filled their 
hearts, none dared to move. Fear, astonishment, appre- 
hension of what was to come, had riveted each to the 
spot on which he stood. 

Among the crowd was a Nephite dissenter, an 
apostate from the true church, named Aminadab. This 
man, happening to turn his face in the direction in 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 223 



which the two disciples stood, beheld that their faces 
shone with a glorious light, and that they were convers- 
ing with some one who appeared to be above them, for 
their eyes were turned heavenward. Aminadab drew 
the attention of those who surrounded him to this glo- 
rious appearance, and the spell that bound them was 
sufficiently removed to enable them to turn towards the 
prisoners and to become witnesses of the fact also. 
What do all these things mean? they anxiously 
inquired. They do converse with the angels of God, 
answered Aminadab. What shall we do that this cloud 
of darkness may be removed? was their next question. 
You must repent and cry unto the Voice, even until ye 
shall have faith in Christ, he replied. They did cry 
unto God with all the energy that their terrifying sur- 
roundings inspired, and so continued to supplicate 
until the cloud was dispersed. Then, to their great 
surprise, they discovered that they also were entombed 
in a pillar of living fire. Yet this fire did not hurt 
them, it did not singe their garments, it did not con- 
sume the prison walls, but their terror was swept away, 
and they were filled with a joy that was unspeakable, 
for the Holy Spirit of God filled their souls, and they 
broke forth in marvelous words of praise and rejoicing. 
Again a pleasant, searching whisper reached their glad- 
dened ears. It said unto them, Peace, peace be unto 
you because of your faith in my Well-beloved, who was 
from the foundation of the world. Now there were 
about 300 souls who heard and saw these things, and 
they cast up their eyes unto heaven, which was opened 
to their vision, and holy angels came down and minis- 
tered unto them. 

The tidings of this glorious appearing were quickly 



224 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



spread near and far in the lands where the Lamanites 
dwelt. So powerful was the testimony, and so great 
were the evidences, that the major portion of the people 
believed, repented and obeyed the gospel. Then, like 
all true Saints, they manifested the sincerity of their 
repentance by works of restitution; they laid down 
their weapons of war, they cast aside their false tra- 
ditions, their hatred gave place to love, and they 
restored to the Nephites Zarahemla and the other lands 
they had taken from them (B. C. 30). 

So great was the reformation in their character 
that the}' soon exceeded the Nephites in their faith and 
good works. Extraordinary as it may appear, instead 
of Nephite missionaries visiting the Lamanites, Laman- 
ite missionaries were soon ministering the precious 
truths of the gospel among the Nephites. Then a 
universal peace, such as had never before been known 
since the division of the two races, extended over the 
whole land. Indeed, from this time the history of the 
two nations, to a great extent, becomes one. Together 
they worshiped the Lord, together they rose and sank, 
together the}' battled with the assassin hosts of Gad- 
ianton, together they triumphed over those desperadoes, 
and together they sought refuge in one vast body when 
there was no safety but in massing the people in one 
land; together the more unrighteous portions of both 
races were destroyed at the crucifixion of the Savior, 
and together the more righteous ones witnessed his 
appearing, listened to his words, received his law, and 
became members of his holy church. Henceforth, for 
generations, the}' were no more of Nephi, no more of 
Lanian, no more of Jacob, no more of Ishmael — all 
were of Christ. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



GROWTH OF EVIL AMONGST THE NEPHITES— THE INCREASE 
OF THE GADIANTON ROBBERS— NEPHI'S ANNOUNCEMENT 
OF THE MURDER OF THE CHIEF JUDGE— THE DISCOV- 
ERY— NEPHI ARRESTED — HE IS PROVEN INNOCENT) — 
GOD'S COVENANT WITH HIM— INCREASE OF INIQUITY— A 
TERRIBLE FAMINE —THE WELCOME RAIN— THE TREND 
TO DEATH. 

'T^HE GOODLY reign of universal peace, to which 



we referred in our last chapter, brought stability, 
stability developed wealth, wealth engendered pride, 
pride gave birth to numerous sins, to be followed by 
contentions, dissensions, and then wars. These evils 
begat sorrow, sorrow softened their hearts to repent- 
ance, repentance was followed by the blessing of God, 
which again brought peace, prosperity and, by-and-by, 
riches. At this era of Nephite national life, this is 
the one eternal round which their inspired historians 
are compelled to chronicle. Within four short years 
of the happy time of universal peace we have just 
referred to, the riches of the world had induced 
stubborness and rebellion towards God, combined with 
the insane desire to rob, plunder and murder their 
fellow-men. If there ever were a people swift to do 
evil, it was the Nephites of this generation. In the 
year B. C. 26, Cezoram, the chief judge, was murdered 
by an unknown hand, as he sat on the judgment seat, 
and his son, who succeeded him, suffered in like man- 
ner within the year. The Gadianton robbers grew in 
strength, numerically and morally, and were actually 
fostered amongst the Nephites, while the more right- 
eous Lamanites utterly destroyed all that they found 




2 26 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



within their borders. The one people dwindled in 
unbelief, the other grew in grace and in the power of 
God's divine Spirit. 

Nephi, who had gone to the northern continent, 
tarried there nntil the year B. C. 23, when, his teach- 
ings and prophecies having been rejected by its in- 
habitants, he returned in sorrow to Zarahemla; bnt 
he found no comfort there. The Gadianton robbers 
filled the judgment seats, and perverted the law to 
their own avarice and Inst. The life, the property, the 
liberty, the virtue of righteous men and women were 
counted but things of naught, their playthings or their 
spoil. 

Nephi's house in Zarahemla was situated on one of 
the principal thoroughfares. It led to the chief market- 
place. In his garden, near the highway, he built a 
tower, whither it was his wont to repair for pra}~er. On 
one occasion, shortly after his return from the north, he 
became so deeply concerned because of the iniquities of 
the people, that in earnest supplication to the Lord he 
raised his voice so high that he was heard by the passers 
by in the street below. A listening crowd soon gathered, 
and when the prophet had ended his devotions and 
become aware of their presence, he commenced to teach 
them. His words were not sugar-coated, to adapt them 
to the tastes of his congregation. To the contrary, he 
boldly rebuked their sins, their murders, and their 
secret wickedness; at the same time, in the love of the 
gospel, he entreated and plead with them to amend 
their lives and do better. He also warned them of the 
terrible judgments that would fall upon them if they 
did not turn from their sinful ways. 

Towards the conclusion of his address, Nephi 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 227 

surprised his hearers by stating that the chief judge 
had been murdered by his brother, who was anxious to 
obtain the chief judgeship himself. Both these men 
were members of the vile band of robbers who owned 
Gadianton as their chief. 

The people did not believe Nephi's statement that 
their chief judge was murdered, so five incredulous men 
ran to the judgment hall to find out the truth of the 
matter. When they reached there they discovered 
Seezoram — for that was the name of the judge — lying 
dead in a pool of blood near the judgment seat. The 
five messengers were so overcome with fear at this awful 
sight that they fell to the earth. 

Soon after, other citizens who had not heard Nephi 
came in. Finding the dead judge and the five men all 
there they concluded that the latter must be the mur- 
derers, who, by some manifestation of the power of 
heaven, had been prevented from leaving the scene of 
their shameful deed. The officers therefore took the 
five and cast them into prison. 

When the wicked learned that Nephi's words had 
proven true, they charged him with being an accom- 
plice. They did not believe in revelation from God, 
so argued that Nephi must have had a hand in the 
murder or he could not have known anything about 
it. He was therefore taken and bound and brought 
before the multitude. Then they cross-examined him, 
abused him, and finally offered him money to confess 
that he had employed some one to do the dreadful deed. 
They were anxious to bring reproach and trouble upon 
him that they might have an excuse for not believing 
his words and heeding his teachings. How he escaped 
their plot we will let the Book of Mormon itself tell. 



228 STORY OF THE BOOK* OF MORMON. 

The conversation is between Nephi and his accus- 
ers: 

And now behold, I will shew unto you another 
sign, and see if ye will in this thing seek to destroy 
me. 

Behold I say unto you, Go to the house of Seantum, 
who is the brother of Seezoram, and say unto him, Has 
Nephi the pretended prophet, who doth prophesy so 
much evri concerning this people, agreed with thee, in 
which ye have murdered Seezoram, who is your brother? 

And behold, he shall say unto you, Nay. 

And ye shall say unto him, Have ye murdered 
your brother? 

And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what 
to say. And behold, he shall deny unto you; and he 
shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he 
shall declare unto you that he is innocent. 

But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall 
find blood upon the skirts of his cloak. 

And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From 
whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that 
this is the blood of your brother? And then shall he 
tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come 
upon him. 

And then shall ye say, Because of this fear and 
this paleness which has come upon your face, behold we 
know that thou art guilty. 

And then shall greater fear come upon him; 
and then shall he confess unto you, and deny no 
more that he has done this murder. 

And then shall he say unto you, that I, Nephi, know 
nothing concerning the matter, save it were given unto 
me by the power of God. And then shall ye know that 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 229 

I am an honest man, and that I am sent nnto yon from 
God. 

And it came to pass that they went and did, even 
according as Nephi had said nnto them. And behold, 
the words which he had said, were trne; for according 
to the words, he did deny; and also according to the 
words he did confess. 

Some of the citizens now acknowledged that he 
was a prophet, others declared that he was a god, whilst 
many remained hardened in their sins. So violent 
became the contention that the people gathered in 
excited crowds npon the streets, wrangling and disput- 
ing about the events of the past two days, and in their 
excitement they entirely forgot Nephi, and left him 
standing alone in the street. 

With a sorrowful heart he wended his way home- 
ward; but before he reached there, the voice of the 
Lord came to him with many words of comfort and 
commendation. As with others of his servants, the 
Lord made a covenant with him, that he would bless 
him forever. That whatsoever he bound on earth 
should be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he loosed 
on earth should be loosed in heaven; that he should 
have power over the elements to bless and to curse; 
to smite the earth with famine and pestilence and 
destruction. 

Notwithstanding the many proofs the ungodly 
Nephites had that Nephi was a true prophet, they con- 
tinued to reject, his teachings. They persecuted him, 
and even went so far as to seek his life. But he was 
conveyed out of their midst by the power of God, and 
ministered among other peoples. 

The general character of the Nephites now com- 



230 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

inenced to grow worse and worse. The Gadianton 
robbers grew stronger and stronger. For a few years 
there was increasing commotion, disunion and blood- 
shed. At last, wearied at beholding so much misery 
and contention, Nephi prayed that the Lord would 
not suffer the people to be destroyed by the 
sword, but rather let a famine desolate the land and, 
peradventure, bring the people to an understanding 
of their awful condition, and cause them to humble 
themselves and repent. The Holy One heard and 
answered his petition, the heavens became as brass 
over the land, the rains ceased, the earth dried up, 
the crops failed, the people perished for want of food. 

Two years passed (B. C. 19 and 18) and the third 
came, and still the refreshing rain was withheld (B. C. 
17). During this year the people, humbled b} T their 
sufferings, turned towards the Lord. They endeavored 
to root out iniquity from their midst. They destroyed 
the Gadianton robber bands, and established the govern- 
ment on a more righteous foundation. Nephi, observ- 
ing the change in their conduft and feelings, interceded 
with the Lord in their behalf. His prayers were ans- 
wered, the welcome rain descended on the parched-up 
soil, and a bounteous harvest once more crowned the 
labors of the husbandman (B. C. 16). 

The repentant people now regarded Nephi in his 
true light ; they revered him as a great prophet, and for 
a few short years they listened to his teachings. While 
they did so they prospered. But the leaven of 
unrighteousness had too thoroughly permeated the 
national life for their faithfulness to God to be of long 
duration. Two, three, or perhaps half a dozen years 
they would maintain their integrity, and then corrup- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 231 



tion would seethe, the vile would snatch the reins of 
government, the good would be oppressed, and conten- 
tion and war, with all their horrors, would again reign 
supreme. Thus it was after the three years of famine. 
For two years there was peace, in the third there 
began to be much strife (B. C. 13), in the next, the 
Gadianton bands reappeared, and carried havoc amongst 
their more peaceable fellow-countrymen. Going on, 
year by year they grew in iniquity and ripened for 
destruction. For many years Nephi strove to stem the 
tide of vice. At times partial success rewarded his 
unceasing efforts, and he had joy in the baptism of 
some honest souls. But the great bulk of the people 
had rejected the gospel, they had no love for its holy 
principles, and were unfit for its blessings. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

SAMUEU THE LAMANITE— HIS MISSION AND PROPHECIES — 
THE VAIN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY HIM— HE RETURNS 
TO HIS OWN COUNTRY. 

~^^TE COME now to the days of Samuel the Laman- 
ite (B. C. 6). Without any previous reference to 
him, he appears suddenly in the foreground of ancient 
American history, bearing a weighty and solemn mes- 
sage; a messenger of God's displeasure, he stands a 
Jonah to the Nephites. That message is faithfully 
delivered; then he disappears forever from our sight. 
The condition of societ}^ in the days of Samuel 



232 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

was somewhat peculiar. The Nephites and Lamanites 
had, so far as righteousness is concerned, to a great 
extent changed places. The former were puffed up 
with worldl}- pride, were full of vain boastings, envy- 
ings, strifes, malice, persecutions, murders and all 
manner of iniquities. They cast out, they stoned, they 
slew the servants of God, while they encouraged, 
exalted and rewarded the false teachers who flattered 
them in their vileness and sung in their ears the siren's 
song of "all is well." They reveled in all the luxury 
that the fatness of the land brought forth; they were 
ostentatious in the use of gold and silver and precious 
things ; but their hearts never turned in thankfulness 
to the great Giver of all these bounties. The majority 
of the Lamanites, on the contrary, walked circum- 
spectly before God; they were full of faith and integrity, 
were zealous in the work of converting their fellows, 
and kept the commandments, statutes and judgments of 
the Lord according to the law of Moses. 

Such was the condition of affairs when the Lanian- 
ite prophet Samuel appeared among the sin-stained 
citizens of 'Zarahemla, and for inan}^ days preached 
repentance in their midst. Their eyes were blind and 
their ears were deaf, sin filled their souls, and in their 
anger they cast him out. But the work of his mission 
was not yet accomplished. As he was preparing to 
return to his own country, a holy angel visited him and 
proclaimed the voice of the Lord. That voice com- 
manded that he should turn back and prophesy to the 
people of Zarahemla the things that should come into 
his heart. 

He returned to the city, but was refused admission 
at its gates. The iniquitous dwellers therein had no 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



233 



desire to have their peace disturbed by the voice of 
divine threatenings. But the prophet had the word of 
the Lord burning within him, and could not be 
restrained. He mounted the walls of the city, and 
from this conspicuous vantage ground, with out- 
stretched hands and loud voice, he proclaimed to the 
wicked the unwelcome tidings of their coming des- 
truction. Many listened to his proclamation, some few 
were pricked in their hearts, repented of their evil 
deeds, and sought the prophet Nephi, that they might 
be baptized. Others were angry, they gathered up the 
stones in the roadway and hurled them at Samuel ; they 
drew forth their bows and shot arrows at him. But 
to no effect.; the protecting power of the Holy Spirit 
was around him, and he could not be harmed. 

When some beheld how wonderfully the prophet 
was preserved, it was a testimony to them that God was 
with him, and they also sought Nephi, confessing their 
sins. But the great body of the populace grew more 
enraged at the want of success that attended their 
murderous efforts. They called upon their captains to 
seize and bind him.. They cried out, He hath a devil, 
and it is by this power he is preserved ; take the fellow, 
bind him, and away with him ! Following the wild 
satanic cry of the multitude, the officers of the law 
endeavored to arrest Samuel. But he cast himself down 
from the wall of the city and fled out of the lands of 
the Nephites into his own country. There he preached 
and prophesied among his own people; but amongst 
the people of Nephi he was never heard of more. 

The prophecies of Samuel are amongst the most 
wonderful recorded in holy writ. He especially fore- 
told many things regarding the life and death of our 



234 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Savior, and concerning the future destiny of his peo- 
ple, and of the Nephites. 

With regard to the birth of the Redeemer he said : 

Behold, I give unto you a sign ; for five years more 
cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God, to 
redeem all those who shall believe on his name. 

And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at 
the time of his coming ; for behold, there shall be 
great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night 
before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch 
that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. 

Therefore there shall be one day and a night, and 
a day, as if it were one day, and there were no night; 
and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall 
know of the rising of the sun, and also of its setting; 
therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall 
be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall 
not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is 
born. 

And behold there shall a new star arise, such an 
one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a 
sign unto you. 

And behold this is not all, there shall be many 
signs and wonders in heaven. 

And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be 
amazed and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the 
earth. 

Regarding the death of the Lord Jesus he declared : 
But behold, as I said unto you concerning another 
sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall 
sufreV death, the sun shall be darkened and refuse to 
give his light unto you ; and also the moon, and the 
stars ; and there shall be no light upon the face of this 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 235 

land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for 
the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise 
again from the dead. 

Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost, 
there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space 
of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble, 
and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth; 
which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye 
know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is 
one solid mass, shall be broken up; 

Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever 
after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken 
fragments upon the face of the whole earth ; yea, both 
above the earth and beneath. 

And behold there shall be great tempests, and 
there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a 
valley, and there shall be many places, which are now 
called valleys, which shall become mountains, whose 
height thereof is great. 

And many highways shall be broken up, and 
many cities shall become desolate. 

And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield 
up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear 
unto many. 

And behold thus hath the angel spoken unto me ; 
for he said unto me, that there should be thunderings 
and lightnings for the space of many hours : 

And he said unto me that while the thunder and 
the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things 
should be, and that darkness should cover the face of 
the whole earth for the space of three days. 

And the angel said unto me, that many shall see 
greater things than these, to the intent that they 



236 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



might believe that these signs and these wonders 
should come to pass, upon all the face of this land; 
to the intent that there should be no cause of unbelief 
among the children of men; 

We shall see as we proceed how wonderfully all 
these sayings of Samuel the Lamanite were fulfilled. 

He closed his prophecy with these emphatic words. 
First regarding the Lamanites: 

Therefore, saith the Lord, I will not utterly destroy 
them ; but I will cause that in the day of my wisdom 
they shall return again unto me, saith the Lord. 

And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the 
the people of the Nephites, if they will not repent and 
observe to do my will, I will utterly destroy them, saith 
the Lord, because of their unbelief, notwithstanding 
the many mighty works which I have done among 
them; and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these 
things be, saith the Lord. 



CHAPTER XL. 

NEPHI TRANSLATED — HIS SON NEPHI— TIME OF THE SAV- 
IOR'S COMING— THE CONSPIRACY TO SLAY THE BELIEV- 
ERS — THE REVELATION TO NEPHI — THE PROMISED 
SIGNS APPEAR— INCREASE OF THE GADIANTON ROBBERS 
— WAR— LACHONEUS GATHERS ALL THE PEOPLE TO 
ONE LAND— THE END OF THE STRUGGLE. 

gHORTLY before the birth of Christ, Nephi trans- 
ferred the plates of brass and other records to his 
son Nephi, gave him charge concerning them, and 
departed from the land of Zarahemla. Whither he 
went, or what became of him, is hidden from the knowl- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



237 



edge of mankind. That lie did not return to the dwell- 
ing-places of humanity is testified to by his son some 
ten years afterwards. 

Six hundred years had now passed since Lehi and 
his companions left Jerusalem. The time had arrived, 
of which Samuel the Lamanite and other prophets had 
borne testimony, when the phenomena should appear 
to bear witness of the birth of the Son of God. As the 
day drew near, signs and miracles increased among the 
people. But the hardened in heart, who were ever on 
the watch to entrap those who believed in the words of 
the prophets, began to circulate the idea that the time 
had passed and the prophecies had failed. Not content 
with mocking and reviling those who were anxiously 
looking for the promised two days and a night when 
there should be no darkness, they went so far as to 
appoint a day when all who believed in the coming of 
the Savior should be slain, except the sign be first 
given. 

This gross wickedness caused Nephi great sorrow; 
his only recourse was to heaven. Before God, in 
mighty prayer, he bowed in behalf of his imperiled 
people. All the day long he continued his earnest 
supplications. At last the word of the Anointed One 
came unto him, saying, Lift up your head and be of 
good cheer, for behold the time is at hand, and on this 
night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come 
I into the world, to show unto the world that I will ful- 
fil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the 
mouth of my holy prophets. As was thus declared, 
so was it fulfilled, for at the going down of the sun it 
was as light as day, and so continued until the morn- 
ing, when the sun again rose in its usual course. A 



2 3 8 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



new star had also appeared in the heavens. Then the 
faithfnl rejoiced, their hearts were fnll to overflowing, 
they knew that their Redeemer was born, and that the 
great plan of salvation had entered its most glorions 
phase ; God, the great Jehovah, was tabernacled in the 
flesh. Bnt the wicked quaked with awful dread, they 
realized the extent of their iniquity, they sensed that 
they were murderers at heart, for they had plotted to 
take the lives of the righteous, and in the terror that 




THE NEW STAR. 



this overwhelming sense of their piteous condition 
wrought, they sank to the earth as though they were 
dead. 

Many now believed who previously had scorned 
the divine messages that the prophets bore; but others, 
inspired of Satan, as soon as they recovered from the 
fright which the appearance of the promised signs had 
produced, began to explain them away, and, by various 
lying rumors, endeavored to nullify the good that had 
been done in the hearts of many. Others again com- 
menced to teach that it was no longer expedient to 




15 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 241 



observe the laws of Moses, drawing their conclusions 
from a false interpretation of the scriptures. Not- 
withstanding these efforts of the evil one, Nephi 
and others went forth among the people preaching, 
baptizing many, and bringing a short period of peace 
to the land. 

Bnt those who were righteous were not strong 
enough to overcome the vast hosts of Gadianton robbers, 
who, time and time again,, swarmed from their mountain 
retreats, and carried carnage, rapine and desolation to 
the homes of both Nephites and Lamanites. 

Year by year these marauding bands repeated 
their incursions. Sometimes one party conquered, 
sometimes the other. This condition of affairs kept the 
people in such a state of terror and anxiety that life 
grew a burden to them. Still they repented not in 
sincerity of heart, and their many afflictions were per- 
mitted by the Lord because of their iniquity. 

So great was the misery entailed by these invasions, 
that the chief judge, Lachoneus, at last determined to 
gather all the people into one place, and b}^ a policy of 
masterly inactivity wear out or starve out the invaders. 
We can scarce^ understand how terrible must have 
been the misery endured by the nation at this time, to 
have caused the conception and execution of such a 
measure. Can we picture to ourselves the scenes that 
must have occurred as the people of two continents 
converged to one gathering place ? From the shores of 
the great lakes in the north, from the stormy Atlantic 
seaboard, from the coast where the mild Pacific ebbs 
and flows, from the regions of the southern Andes, the 
migrating hosts flowed together to Zarahemla and 
Bountiful, the lands selected as the temporary gather- 



242 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



ing place. They came with their flocks and herds, 
their grain and provisions, leaving nothing that wonld 
help to sustain the robber bands while they continued 
to wage their unhallowed war. (A. C. 17.) 

When the people reached the gathering place they 
fortified it so strongly that it became impregnable to 
their enemies. Under Gidgiddoni's instructions they 
also made themselves strong armor and shields as 
well as all kinds, of weapons, so that they might be 
fully prepared for the day of battle. Lachoneus, in the 
meantime, preached to them in great power, so much 
so that they feared his denunciations, forsook all their 
sins, and turned to the Lord in great humility and 
devotion. 

Game soon became so scarce in the wilderness that 
the Gadiantons began to suffer for food while besieging 
the Nephite stronghold. In addition to this, the 
Nephites made frequent attacks upon them. Seeing 
his armies wasting away from famine and the sword, 
Zemnarihah, their commander, gave up all hope of 
success and withdrew from the siege, and formed the 
design of marching his followers to the most distant 
parts of the land northward. 

To have permitted the robbers to escape would 
have increased the difficulties under which the Nephites 
had so long suffered. Gidgiddoni, the Nephite general, 
having learned of their purpose, and knowing their 
weakness for want of food and because of the great 
slaughter made among them through the successful 
attacks of his own troops, sent his armies to cut off 
their retreat. During the night they got beyond the 
robbers, who, when they began their march on the mor- 
row, found themselves between the armies of the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 243 

Nephites. Many thousands surrendered, and the 
remainder were slain. Zemnarihah was taken and 
hanged to the top of a tree; which, when he was dead, 
the Nephites cut down. They then greatly rejoiced 
and praised God for his mercies and blessings in deliver- 
ing them from their enemies. 

The soldiers of Gidgiddoni succeeded in taking as 
prisoners all the robbers that were not killed. The 
word of God was preached to them, and those who 
repented of their sins, and convenanted to cease their 
evil practices, were set at liberty. The remainder were 
condemned for their crimes and punished according to 
law. This entirely broke up these bands of murderers 
and robbers, and peace and righteousness again pre- 
vailed (A. C. 21), but it was not until five years later 
(A. C. 26) that the Nephites returned to and possessed 
their old homes. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

THE LAST CHIEF JUDGE MURDERED AND THE REPUBLIC 
OVERTHROWN— THE SIGNS OF THE SAVIOR'S DEATH 
APPEAR — A TERRIBLE STORM— THE UNIVERSAL DARK- 
NESS—THE UNPARALLELED DESTRUCTION— THE TER- 
ROR OF THOSE HOURS. 

^JpHE NEXT year the laws were revised according to 
justice and equity. They had, doubtless, been vio- 
lently tampered with during the times that the Gadian- 
ton robbers held control of the administration and 
elected the officers. Good order now prevailed through- 
out the whole land. Soon new cities were founded 



244 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and built, and many improvements made. Yet for all 
this, trie peace was short lived. Iniquity and dissen- 
sion soon began to again raise their hideous heads, and 
the prophets and servants of God were persecuted and 
illegally condemned to death. 

No officer, according to Nephite law, had power to 
condemn a person to death without the authority of the 
governor, but many of the prophets were put to death 
secretly by the judges. A complaint was entered 
against these judges to the governor and they were 
tried for their crimes, according to the law made by the 
people. 

.The kindred and friends of the offenders, with the 
lawyers and high priests, entered into a secret covenant 
to destroy the people who were in favor of law and 
justice, and to save the guilty judges from the just 
penalty of their misdeeds. This was, in fact, the 
re-establishment of the order of Gadianton. They 
proposed to assassinate the governor, set up a king to 
rule the country, and destroy its liberties. That same 
year they murdered the chief judge Lachoneus, the 
younger, as he sat in the judgment seat. The result 
was not what the plotters anticipated; for the people, 
being dissatisfied with the condition of affairs, divided 
into tribes, ever}' man with his family uniting with his 
kindred and friends. This completely disorganized the 
government and deranged the plans of the conspirators. 
Some men had large families and many kindred and 
friends, and their tribes were corresponding!}' large. 
Each tribe appointed its chief, or leader, and it was his 
special duty to see that the laws they had adopted were 
properly carried out (B. C. 30). 

\\ hlle these terrible social overturnings were tak- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



245 



ing place on this continent, how different were the 
events that were occnrring in the midst of the house of 
Israel on the eastern continent, for it was in this year 
that Jesus, the Redeemer of the world, was baptized by 
John in Jordan, as Lehi, Nephi, and others of the 




THE RIVER JORDAN. 

ancient prophets had long before foretold ; and it was in 
this year that he commenced his public ministry, and 
began to teach men the law of his gospel. 

There was but little to unite the Nephite tribes 
except their fear of the Gadianton robbers. This 
appears to have led to a confederacy for the purpose of 
defense. They agreed to keep peace with one another, 
and established laws to prevent one tribe trespassing 
upon the rights of the others. 



246 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



The secret association that had slain the chief 
judge elected one Jacob to be their leader. Seeing 
that their enemies, the tribes of the people, were too 
numerous to contend with, he commanded his followers 
to flee into the northernmost parts of the land, where 
they could build up a kingdom to themselves. They 
carried out his plan, and their flight was too speedy to 
be intercepted. In the north they built a large city 
which they called Jacobugath. 

In this calamitous condition of affairs, Nephi was 
called, b} T the voice of the Lord and the administration 
of angels, to labor diligenth' in the ministry among 
this wicked people. At first, but few accepted the 
truth; but in the following year (A. C. 32) many were 
baptized into the church. As the year (A. C. 33) was 
passing away, the people began to look anxiously for 
the fulfilment of the predictions of Samuel, the 
Lamanite, concerning the important events which 
would take place at the death of our Savior. Notwith- 
standing the many predictions of the prophets already 
fulfilled, there was much doubt and uneasiness among 
the people concerning that which was yet in the future. 
They had not to wait long, however, for the fulfilment 
of his words. 

On the fourth day of the thirty-fourth year the 
promised signs of the Savior's crucifixion began. A 
horrible and devastating tempest burst upon the land. 
All that was eA'er told of the loudest thunder, and all 
that was ever seen of the most vivid lightning, would 
fail to picture the terrific visitation. The earth quivered 
and groaned and opened in wide, unfathomable chasms. 
Forests of gigantic trees were uprooted and carried 
high above the earth to meet in fearful shocks in the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 247 

air and then to be driven down again and shattered 
npon the unyielding rocks. Mountains were riven 
and swallowed up in yawning gulfs, or were scattered 
into fragments and dispersed like hail before the tear- 
ing wind. Cattle were lifted from their feet and dashed 




over precipices, or were hurried before the blast to 
perish in the far off sea. Towers, temples, houses, 
were torn up, scattered in fragments or crushed by 



2_|S STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



falling rocks, and together with their inmates were 
ground to dust in the convulsion. Human beings 
were hurled High into the air and driven from point to 
point, until they found graves fathoms deep below the 
earth's surface. Blue and yellow flames burst from the 
edges of sinking rocks, blazed for a moment and then 
all was the deepest darkness again. Boiling springs 
gushed upwards from sulphurous caverns. Shrieks 
and howls from suffering animals, awful in themselves, 
were drowned in the overwhelming uproar. Rain 
poured down in torrents, cloud-bursts, like floods, washed 
away all with which they came in contact, and pillars of 
steaming vapor seemed to unite the earth and sky. 

This unnaralleled storm raofed throughout the 
land for three hours only — but to those who suffered it 
seemed an age. 

During its short continuance the whole face of 
nature was changed. Mountains sank, valleys rose, 
the sea swept over the plains, large stagnant lakes 
usurped the place of flourishing cities, great chasms, 
rents and precipices disfigured the face of the earth. 
Many cities were destroyed by earthquakes, fire, and 
the tumultuous overflow of the waters of the great 
seas. 

Three days of unnatural and impenetrable dark- 
ness followed the horrors of the tempest, and from the 
heavens the voice of the Lord was heard by the 
affrighted people, proclaiming in their terrified ears the 
destruction that had taken place. 

Terrible was the catalogue of woes that that 
heavenly voice rehearsed. The great city of Zarahemla 
and the inhabitants thereof God had burned with fire. 
Moroni had been sunken in the depths of the sea and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 25 1 

her iniquitous children had been drowned. Gilgal had 
been swallowed up in an earthquake and her people 
were entombed in the bowels of the earth. Onihah, 
Mocum and Jerusalem had disappeared and waters 
overflowed the places where they so lately stood. Gad- 
iandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob and Gimgimno were ■ all 
overthown, and desolate hills and valleys occupied their 
places, while their inhabitants were buried deep in the 
earth. Jacobugath, Laman, Josh, Gad and Kishkumen 
had all been burned, most probably by lightnings from 
heaven. The desolation was complete, the face of the 
land was changed, tens of thousands, probably millions, 
of souls had been suddenly called to meet the reward 
of their sinful lives ; for this destruction came upon 
them that their wickedness and their abominations 
might be hid from the face of heaven, and that the 
blood of the prophets and the saints might not come 
up any more in appeal unto God against them. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN— THE SAVIOR TESTIFIES OF 
HIMSELF — SILENCE THROUGHOUT THE LAND— HOW OFT 
WOULD CHRIST HAVE GATHERED HIS PEOPLE — THE 
DARKNESS DEPARTS. 

"^THEN THE heavenly voice had finished the 
recital of the calamities that had befallen the 
land and its inhabitants, the speaker commenced an 
appeal to those who yet lived, and revealed to them who 
he was. He declared unto them : 

O all ye that are spared because } T e were more 



252 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



righteous than ihzy, will ye not now return unto me, 
and repent of } T our sins, and be converted, that I may 
heal you ? 

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto 
me ve shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of 
mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will 
come, him will I receive: and blessed are those who 
come unto me. 

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I 
created the heavens and the earth, and all things that 
in them are. I Avas with the Father from the beginning. 
I am in the Father, and the Father in me ; and in me 
hath the Father glorified his name. 

I came unto my own, and my own received me not. 
And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled. 

And as many as have received me, to them have I 
given to become the sons of God , and even so will I 
to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, 
by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of 
Moses fulfilled. 

I am the light and the life of the world. I am 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 

And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shed- 
ding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt 
offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of 
your sacrifices and your burnt offerings ; 

And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken 
heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me 
with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I 
baptize with f re and with the Holy Ghost, even as the 
Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of 
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the 
Holy Ghost, and they knew it not. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



253 



Behold, I have come unto the world to bring 
redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin; 

Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as 
a little child, him will I receive : for of such is the 
kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down 
my life, and have taken it up again ; therefore repent, 
and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved. 

After the people had heard this glad message of 
forgiveness and redemption, they ceased their mourn- 
ing for their dead relatives, and there was silence in 
the land for the space of many hours. Then again 
was the voice heard, even the voice of Jesus, recount- 
ing how oft he had sought to gather his Israel but they 
would not, and promising in the future that he would 
again gather them, if they would listen unto him. 
But if they would not heed him, the places of their 
dwellings should become desolate until the time of the 
fulfilling of God's covenant with their fathers. When 
the people heard this awful prophecy they began to 
weep and howl again because of the loss of their kin- 
dred and friends. 

As on the eastern continent, so on this ; at the time 
of Christ's resurrection, numbers of the saints who 
were dead arose from their graves and were seen and 
known by many of the living. Christ had suffered for 
the sin of the world, he had broken the bands of death, 
he had opened the portals of the tomb, and as soon as 
he came forth conqueror over death and hell, the faith- 
ful ones of many generations, who were prepared for the 
glories of eternity, came forth also. This was the first 
resurrection. 

Three days had passed in darkness, in terror and 
in woe, when the thick mist rolled off the face of the 



254 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



land, revealing to the astonished eyes of the snrvivors 
how great had been the convulsions that had shaken 
the earth. When the darkness passed away the earth 
ceased to tremble, the rocks were no longer rent, 
the dreadful groanings ceased, and the tumultuous 
noises ended. Then nature was again at peace, and 
peace filled the hearts of the living; their mourning 
was turned to praise, and their joy was in Christ their 
Deliverer. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

CHRIST APPEARS IN THE LAND BOUNTIFUL — THE TESTIMONY 
OF THE FATHER— JESUS CALLS TWELVE DISCIPLES — 
HIS TEACHINGS TO THEM AND TO THE MULTITUDE. 

gOME TIME after the tribulations that marked the 
sacrifice of the Lord of life and glory, exactly how 
long we know not, a multitude assembled near the 
temple, which was in the land Bountiful. The sacred 
building, it seems, was not destroyed in the late over- 
whelming convulsions. Possibly many of the high 
priesthood had assembled there to call upon the Lord, 
and to officiate in the duties of their calling. At any 
rate, those whom Jesus deemed worthy to be his twelve 
disciples had, by some inspiration, gathered there. With 
the rest of the multitude they conversed on the marvel- 
ous changes that had been wrought by the desolating 
earthquakes and their attendant horrors. They also 
spake one to another with regard to the Savior, of 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 255 



whose death the three days of unexampled, impenetra- 
ble darkness had been a sign. 

While thus engaged a strange, sweet voice fell 
upon their ears' yet it pierced them to the centre, that 
their whole frames trembled. At first they wist not 
what it said or whence it came ; nor even when the 
words were again repeated did they understand. But 
when they came a third time they understood their 
glorious import, and knew that it was the voice of God. 
He said unto them, Behold my beloved Son, in whom I 
am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name: 
hear ye him. Obedient to this heavenly voice they cast 
their eyes upward, and to their joyous astonishment 
beheld the Messiah, clothed in' a white robe, coming 
out of heaven. 

Even yet the}^ did not comprehend who it was, 
but thought him an angel. As he descended to the 
earth and stood in their midst, their wondering eyes 
were ail turned towards him, but for awe not a mouth 
was opened or a limb moved. Then the Redeemer 
stretched forth his hand and said unto the multitude : 
Behold I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified 
should come into the world; and behold, I am the life 
and light of the world; and I have drunk out of the 
bitter cup which the Father hath given to me, and have 
glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the 
world,' in the which I have suffered the will of the 
Father in all things from the beginning. 

Then the whole multitude fell to the earth, they 
remembered the sayings of the prophets , they realized 
that their God stood in the midst of them. 

Again the risen Redeemer spake: Arise, said he, 
and come forth unto me, that you may thrust your 



256 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



hands into, my side, and also that ye may feel the 
prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye 
may know that I am the God of Israel and the God of 
the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of 
the world. 

Now they who heard him from the first to the last 
went forth and assnred themselves that it was he of 
whom the prophets had spoken. Then with shonts of 
praise they cried : Hosanna ! blessed be the name of 
the Most High God. And they fell down at his feet 
and worshiped him. 

Jesns next called Nephi to him, then eleven others, 
and gave them anthority to baptize the people, at the 
same time strictly charging them as to the manner in 
which they performed this ordinance, that all disputes 
on this point might cease among the believers. The 
names of the Twelve whom he chose were: Nephi, his 
brother Timothy, whom he had beforetime raised from 
the dead, also his son Jonas, and Mathoni, Mathonihah, 
Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zede- 
kiah and Isaiah. These Twelve are to sit in the great 
day of judgment as the judges of the seed of Lehi, 
and be themselves judged by the Twelve Apostles 
whom Jesus had called from among the Jews. 

After Jesus had chosen the Twelve, he commenced 
to teach the people the principles of the fulness of the 
gospel. Step by step he led them over the same pre- 
cious ground of universal truth as he had done his 
followers in the temple at Jerusalem, by the shore of 
the Sea of Galilee, and on the hillsides of Judea and 
Samaria. Sometimes, through the difference of the 
inspired translation of the Book of Mormon and the 
wordly-wise one of the Bible, a slight difference is 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 257 

noticeable in the wording of the instructions, but as a 
rule these differences are trivial, the advantage being 
with the Nephites, whose greater faith drew from the 
Savior deeper truths than Judah had received, or caused 
him to display greater manifestations of his om- 
nipotence and boundless love. From the believers 
he would turn to the Twelve, and give them special in- 
structions as his ministers, then again he would shed 
forth his words of mercy, truth and divine wisdom upon 
the multitude ; and by and by again address the disci- 
ples. So he continued day by day until all was re- 
vealed, either to the multitude or to the Twelve, that 
was necessary for the eternal salvation of the obedient. 

Some have wondered why Jesus should have given 
so many of the same teachings to the Nephites as he 
did to the Jews. The reason is that those teachings 
were perfect and could not be improved. They were 
universal, that is, they were adapted to the wants of 
all peoples, whether of Israel or of the Gentiles, 
whether of Judah or Joseph. The}- were a portion of 
the everlasting gospel and had to be preached to all the 
world as a witness, to those who dwelt in America as well 
as to those of Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus we find in 
the teachings given to the Nephites what we term 
the first principles of the gospel — faith, repentance 
and baptism ; we also find those divine lessons of love, 
truth, humility and duty that glorified the Savior's 
"Sermon on the Mount. " As we rapidly pass through 
these instructions we shall find how entirely adapted 
they are to the needs of all men who desire to live a 
godly life in Christ Jesus. 



16 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



THE BEATITUDES — DIVERS INSTRUCTIONS AND CAUTIONS— 
ON FORGIVENESS, CHASTITY, CHARITY, ETC. 

AFTER JESUS had given his instructions to the 



Twelve, to which we have already referred, he 
turned towards the multitude and taught them. And 
thus he spake: 

Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the 
words of these Twelve whom I have chosen from among 
you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; 
and unto them. I have given power, that they may 
baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized 
with water, behold I will baptize you with fire and with 
the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall 
believe in me, and be baptized, after that ye have seen 
me and know that I am. 

And again, more blessed are they who shall believe 
in your words because that ye shall testify that' ye have 
seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed 
are they who shall believe in your words, and come 
down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for 
they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, 
and shall receive a remission of their sins. 

Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto 
me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

And again ; blessed are all they that mourn, for 
they shall be comforted; 

And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit 
the earth. 

And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 259 

after righteousness, for thay shall be filled with the 
Holy Ghost. 

And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 
mercy. 

And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall 
see God. 

And blessed are all the peace-makers, for they 
shall be called the children of God. 

And blessed are all they who are persecuted for 
my name's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

And blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and 
persecute and shall say all manner of evil against you 
falsely, for my sake. 

For ye shall have great joy and be exceeding glad, 
for great shall be your reward in heaven ; for so perse- 
cuted they the prophets who were before you. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to 
be the salt of the earth ; but if the salt shall lose its 
savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt 
shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast 
out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to 
be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill 
cannot be hid. 

Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a 
bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light 
to all that are in the house ; 

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, 
that they may see your good works and glorify your 
Father who is in heaven. 

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or 
the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil ; 

For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle 



26o STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath 
all been fulfilled. 

And behold I have given you the law and the com- 
mandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, 
and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto 
me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, 
ye have the commandments before you, and the law is 
fulfilled; 

Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for 
verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my 
commandments, which I have commanded you at this 
time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of 
heaven. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of 
old time, and it is also written before you, that thou 
shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in 
danger of the judgment of God. 

But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with 
his brother, shall be in danger of his judgment. And 
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca ; shall be in 
danger of the council : and whosoever shall say thou 
fool, shall be in danger of hellfire; 

Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall 
desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy 
brother hath ought against thee, 

Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be recon- 
ciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full 
purpose of heart, and I will receive you. 

Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art 
in the way with him, lest at any time he shall get thee 
and thou shalt be cast into prison. 

Verily, verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no 
means come out thence, until thou hast paid the utter- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 261 

most senine. And while ye are in prison, can ye pay 
even one senine? Verily, verily I. say nnto yon, Nay. 

Behold, it is written by them "of old time, that thou 
shalt not commit adultery, 

But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a 
woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery 
already in his heart. 

Behold I give unto you a commandment, that ye 
suffer none of these things to enter into your heart; 

For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of 
these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than 
that ye should be cast into hell. 

It hath been written, that whosoever shall put 
away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce- 
ment. 

Verily, verily I say unto you, that whoso shall put 
away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, caus- 
eth her to commit adultery ; and whoso shall marry her 
who is divorced, committeth adultery. 

And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear 
thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord thine oaths. 

But verily, verily I say unto you, swear not at all , 
neither by heaven, for it is God's throne ; 

Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; 

Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because 
thou canst not make one hair black or white ; 

But let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; 
for whatsoever cometh of more than these are evil. 

And behold, it is written, an eye for an eye, and a 
tooth for a tooth. 

But I say unto you, that ye shall not resist evil, 
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, 
turn to him the other also. 



262 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



And if any man will sne thee at the law, and take 
away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go 
with him twain. 

Give to him that asketh thee, and to him that 
would borrow of thee turn thou not away. 

And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love 
thy neighbor and hate thy enemy; 

But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate 
you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and 
persecute you; 

That ye may be the children of your Father who 
is in heaven ; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil 
and on the good; 

Therefore those things which were of old time, 
which were under the law in me, are all fulfilled. 

Old things are done away, and all things have 
become new; 

Therefore I would that ye should be perfecYeven 
as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



ON ALMS-GIVING— "AFTER THIS MANNER PRAY YE" — ON 
FASTING, INTEGRITY, TRUST IN GOD, ETC. 

"y^ERILY, VERILY, I say that I would that ye 
should do alms unto the poor, but take heed that 
ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; 
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in 
heaven. 

Therefore, when ye shall do your alms, do not 
sound a trumpet before you, as will hypocrites do in 
the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have 
glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their 
reward. 

But when thou doest thine alms, let not thy left 
hand know what thy right hand doeth, 

That thine alms may be in secret ; and thy Father 
who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. 

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not do as the 
hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the syna- 
gogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they 
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they 
have their reward. 

But thou, when thou prayest, enter thou into thy 
closet and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy 
Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth 
in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the 
heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for 
their much speaking. 

Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your 



264 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye * 
ask him. 

After this manner therefore pray ye, Onr Father 
who art in haven, hallowed be thy name. 

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory, for ever. Amen. 

For, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your 
heavenly Father will also forgive you ; 

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, 
of a sad contenance, for they, disfigure their faces, that 
they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto 
you, they have their reward. 

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and 
wash thy face; 

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto 
thy Father, who is in secret ; and thy Father, who seeth 
in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, 
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break 
through and steal. 

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where 
thieves do not break through nor steal. 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart 
be also. 

The light of the body is the eye, if therefore thine 
eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



265 



But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be 
full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in 
thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 

No man can serve two masters, for either he will 
hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to 
the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God 
and Mammon. 

And now it came to pass that when Jesus had 
spoken these words, he looked upon the Twelve whom 
he had chosen, and said unto them, Remember the 
words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they 
whom I have chosen to minister .unto this people. 
Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, 
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for 
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more 
than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, 
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your 
heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much bet- 
ter than they? 

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit 
unto his stature? 

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider 
the lilies of the field how they grow? they toil not, 
neither do they spin : 

And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all 
his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. 

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, 
which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, 
even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. 

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we 
eat? or, what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we 
be clothed? 



266 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have 
need of all these things. 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his right- 
eousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the 
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. 
Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof. 



JUDGE NOT— THE BEAM AND THE MOTE — " BEWARE OF 
FALSE PROPHETS" — GOOD AND EVIL. FRUIT— THE 
HOUSE BUILT ON THE ROCK. 

AND NOW it came to pass that when Jesus had 



spoken these words, he turned again to the multi- 
tude, and did open his mouth unto them again, saying, 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, judge not, that ye be 
not judged. 

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be 
judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be 
measured to you again. 

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy 
brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in 
thine own eye? 

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull 
the mote out of thine eye ; and behold, a beam is in 
thine own eye? 

Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine 
own eye ; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the 
mote out of thy brother's eye. 

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither 



CHAPTER XLVI. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 267 

cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them 
under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 

Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye 
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you, 

For every one that asketh, receiveth; he that 
seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be 
opened. Or what man is there of you, whom, if his 
son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a 
fish, will he give him a serpent? 

If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts 
unto your children, how much more shall your Father 
who is in heaven give good things to them that ask 
him? 

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men 
should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the 
law and the prophets. 

Enter ye in at the straight gate ; for wide is the 
gate, and broad is the way, which leadeth to destruction, 
and many there be who go in thereat ; because straight 
is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto 
life, and few there be that find it. 

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in 
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening 
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits : Do men 
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; 
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 

A good tree connot bring forth evil fruit, neither a 
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is 
hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. 

Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall 



268 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



enter into the kingdom of heaven : bnt he that doeth 
the will of - my Father who is in heaven. 

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have 
we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have 
cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful 
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never 
knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Therefore, whoso hear- 
eth these sayings of mine, 
and doeth them, I will liken 
him unto a wise man, who 
built his house upon a rock. 
And the rain descended, and 
the floods came, and the 




winds blew, and beat 
upon that house; and 
it fell not; for it was 
founded upon a rock. 
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, 
and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish 
man, who built his house upon the sand. 

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and 
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, 
and great was the fall of it. 



CHAPTER XLVIL 



THE FULFILMENT OF THE MOSAIC LAW — ' ' OTHER SHEEP 
HAVE I"— THE TEN TRIBES — THE EVENTS OF THE 
LATTER DAYS. 

'HpHUS did Jesus repeat to the Nephites the teach- 



ings he had given to the Jews before he was slain 
and had ascended to his Father. But at this point he 
perceived that some of his hearers were wondering 
what were his intentions regarding the law of Moses, 
for they did not understand the saying that old things 
had passed away, and that all things had become new. 
Therefore he next instructed them on this principle. 
He said : 

Marvel not that I said unto you, that old things 
had passed away, and that all things had become new. 

Behold I say unto you, that the law is fulfilled that 
was given unto Moses. 

Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he 
who covenanted with my people Israel : therefore, the 
law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; 
therefore it hath an end. 

Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many 
as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, 
shall all be fulfilled. 

And because I said unto you, that old things hath 
passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been 
spoken concerning things which are to come. 

For behold, the covenant which I have made with 
my people is not all fulfilled ; but the law which was 
given unto Moses hath an end in me. 




270 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Behold, I am the law, and the light ; look unto me, 
and endure to the end, and ye shall live, for unto him 
that endureth to the end, will I give eternal life. 

Behold, I have given unto you the commandments ; 
therefore keep my commandments. And this is the 
law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me. 

How simple yet how grand, how plain yet how 
comprehensive are these teachings, both with regard to 
himself and to the law which he had given to the fore- 
fathers of the Jews and the Nephites! If men would 
but receive these instructions in the plainness in which 
they are given, how much controversy would have an 
end, how much dissension would never have had an 
existence ! 

After giving these explanations to the multitude, 
Jesus again turned to the twelve chosen disciples and 
shewed unto them the meaning of his words when he 
told the Jews: Other sheep I have which are not of 
this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear 
my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shep- 
herd. 

These other sheep of which he spake, Jesus said, 
were the Nephites themselves, who had been separated 
from the Jews because of the latter's iniquity; and 
becaiise of their continued evil doing and lack of faith 
the knowledge of the existence of Lehi's family on 
the American continent was withheld from them. 
But still more. Jesus had yet other sheep, which were 
neither of the Jews nor of the Nephites, nor of the 
lands in which they dwelt. They were a people whom 
he had not yet visited and who had not yet heard his 
voice; but he had received a commandment from his 
Father to visit them, to shew himself unto them, and 



272 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



teach them, and then they all would be of the one fold 
and he would be the one shepherd to them all. 

These other sheep, neither Jew nor Nephite, we 
understand to be the ten tribes of Israel who were 
carried into captivity, but who, unlike the house of 
Judah, never returned to their homes in the Promised 
Land. We are told they were led away by the power 
of the Lord to a land of which no one knows anything, 
only that which God has revealed. 

Jesus then told his disciples many things relating 
to the age in which we live. He explained to them 
how the Gentiles living on this continent would have 
the truth presented to them, how they would grow 
haughty, proud and exceedingly wicked, and how they 
would oppress the remnants of the house of Israel 
who dwelt on this broad land. Then how- these rem- 
nants would have the fulness of the gospel brought to 
them, and how eventually the house of Israel would 
be used to go through among, and tread down the 
disobedient of the Gentiles, who should become as 
salt that had lost its savor, good for nothing but to be 
cast out and trodden under foot of men. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 



THE SAVIOR HEALS THE SICK— HE BLESSES THE CHIL- 
DREN OF THE NEPHITES — ANGELS MINISTER UNTO 



HEN the Redeemer had finished these teachings 



he looked aronnd among the multitude and per- 
ceived that their minds were not prepared, at that time, 
to receive any more of the word of the Lord, so he told 
them to go to their homes, and prepare their minds for 
the morrow, when he would come unto them again. But 
as he gazed upon them he noticed that they were in 
tears, and that they looked beseechingly upon him, as 
if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with 
them. 

These mute entreaties prevailed with him, his 
bowels were filled with compassion towards them ; and, 
we are told, he said : 

Have ye any that are sick among you, bring them 
hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, 
or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are 
deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner, bring them 
hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion 
upon you ; my bowels are filled with mercy ; 

For I perceive that ye desire that I should shew 
unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jeru- 
salem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I 
should heal you. 

And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, 
all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with 
their sick, and their afflicted, and their lame, and with 
their blind, and with their dumb, and with all they that 



THEM. 




276 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

were afflicted in any manner; and lie did heal them 
every one as they were brought forth unto him. 

And they did all, both they who had been healed 
and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and 
did worship him ; and as many as could come for the 
multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did 
bathe his feet with their tears. 

And it came to pass that he commanded that their 
little children should be brought. 

So they brought their little children and set them 
down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus 
stood in the midst: and the multitude gave way till 
they had all been brought unto him. 

And it came to pass that when they had all been 
brought, and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded 
the multitude that they should kneel down upon the 
ground. 

And it came to pass that when they had knelt 
upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and 
saith, Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness 
of the people of the house of Israel. 

And when he had said these words, he himself 
also knelt upon the earth ; and behold he prayed unto 
the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be 
written, and the multitude did bear record who heard 
him. 

And after this manner do they bear record: the 
eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, 
so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard 
Jesus speak unto the Father; 

And 110 tongue can speak, neither can there be 
written by any man, neither can the hearts of men 
conceive so great and marvelous things as we both 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



277 



saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive 
of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard 
him pray for us unto the Father. 

And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an 
end of praying unto the Father, he arose , but so great 
was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome. 

And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, 
and bade them arise. 

And they arose from the earth, and he said unto 
them, Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now 
behold, my joy is full. 

And when he had said these words, he wept, and 
the multitude bore record of it, and he took their little 
children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed 
unto the Father for them. 

And when he had done this he wept again, 

And he spake unto the multitude, and saith unto 
them, Behold your little ones. 

And as they looked to behold, they cast their eyes 
towards heaven, and the}' saw the heavens open, and 
they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were, 
in the midst of fire , and the}' came down and encircled 
those little ones about, and they were, encircled about 
with fire; and the angels did minister unto them, 

And the multitude did see and hear and bear rec- 
ord; and they know that their record is true, for they 
all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; 
and they were in number about two thousand and five 
hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, 
and children. 

Can we imagine anything more lovely, more 
touching, and more glorious than this scene must have 
been? Can we conceive the joy that must have filled 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the hearts of these Nephites as they beheld the 
angels of heaven descending from the conrts of glory 
and ministering to their little ones? How deep must 
have been their love for the Savior who had brought 
these blessings to them ? how strong must have grown 
their faith in him? We cannot recall a circumstance 
in recorded history that draws earth nearer to heaven 
than this, or that seems to bind the ties so strongly 
that unite the powers of eternity with the children of 
mortality. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

THE SACRAMENT ADMINISTERED— THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS 
REGARDING IT— HE CONFERS ON HIS DISCIPLES THE 
POWER TO GIVE THE HOLY GHOST — HE ASCENDS INTO 
HEAVEN. 

JESUS next commanded his disciples to bring him 
some bread and wine. While they were gone to 
obtain them, he caused the multitudes to sit down upon 
the earth. When the disciples returned with the bread 
and wine, he took of the bread, and brake and blessed 
it. This he gave to the disciples and they did eat and 
were filled. He then commanded them to give unto the 
multitudes. 

When the multitudes had eaten and were filled, 
Jesus began to instruct the people with regard to the 
meaning of the bread the} 7 had just partaken of. He 

said : 

And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 279 

Have done, even as I have broken bread, and blessed it, 
and gave it nnto yon. 

And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, 
which I have shewn nnto yon. And it shall be a testi- 
mony nnto the Father, that ye do always remember me. 
And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my 
Spirit to be with you. 

After this he gave of the wine to his disciples, and 
they drank thereof, and then, by his direction, they 
gave it to the people. 

After they had done this Jesus continued his teach- 
ings; Blessed are ye, said he, for this thing which ye 
have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and 
this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to 
do that which I have commanded you. 

And this shall ye always do to those who repent 
and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in 
remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, 
that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always 
remember me. And if ye do always remember me, ye 
shall have my Spirit to be with you. 

And now behold, this is the commandment which 
I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one, know- 
ingly, to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, 
when ye shall minister it; 

For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood 
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul: 
therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and 
drink of my flesh and blood, ye shall forbid him ; 

Nevertheless ye shall not cast him out from among 
you, but ye shall minister unto him, and shall pray for 
him unto the Father, in my name, and if it so be that 
he repenteth, and is baptized in my name, then shall 



28o 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



ye receive him, and shall minister nnto him of my 
flesh and blood; 

But if he repent not, he shall not be numbered 
among my people, that he may not destroy my people, 
for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered. 

The Lord also gave the people much instruction 
regarding prayer. Among other things he told them : 

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must 
watch and pray always, lest ye enter into temptation ; 
for Satan desireth to have you ; that he may sift you as 
wheat ; 

Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in 
my name; 

And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my 
name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, 
behold it shall be given unto you. 

Pray in your families unto the Father, always in 
my name, that your wives and your children may be 
blessed. 

And behold, ye shall meet together oft, and ye 
shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when 
ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may 
come unto you, and forbid them not; 

But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast 
them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft, 
ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name; 

Therefore hold up your light that it may ' shine 
unto the world. Behold I am .the light which ye shall 
hold up — that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye 
see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye have 
witnessed ; 

And ye see that I have commanded that none of 
you should go away, but rather have commanded that 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



28l 



ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; 
even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever 
breaketh this commandment, suffereth himself to be 
led into temptation. 

When Jesus had made an end of his sayings, he 
touched with his hand the disciples whom he had 
chosen, one by one. As he touched them he gave 
them power to give the Holy Ghost. When he had 
done this a cloud overshadowed the multitude, and they 
saw Jesus no more that day; but the disciples saw 
him, and bore record that he ascended into heaven. 



JESUS RETURNS AND RENEWS HIS TEACHINGS — HE ADMIN- 
ISTERS THE SACRAMENT — HE EXPLAINS THE TEACH- 
INGS OF THE PROPHETS— THE WORDS OF MALACHI. 



HEN JESUS had ascended into heaven the multi- 



tudes dispersed, every one returning home. 
All that evening and all that night was the news 
spread from mouth to mouth that Jesus had come. 
Many were too excited to sleep, and labored diligently 
all night spreading the news far and wide, so that 
when the morning came the whole people were astir, 
wending their way to the place where Jesus was 
expected. 

When the multitude had gathered together their 
number was found to be so great that the disciples 



CHAPTER L. 




282 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



divided them into twelve congregations, and one of 
them taught in each of these bodies. 

After they had prayed to the Father in the name 
of Jesus, the whole people, led by the disciples, went 
down to the water's edge. First, Nephi went into the 
water and was baptized; then he baptized those whom 
Jesus had chosen. After these had been baptized the 
Holy Ghost fell upon them, and they were filled there- 
with and also with fire. And the fire encircled them 
about, and angels came down from heaven and minis- 
tered to them. 

By and by Jesus himself came, and stood in the 
midst of his disciples and taught them. He com- 
manded them all, the people and the Twelve, to kneel 
down again upon the earth, and the disciples he 
instructed to pray. 

And they prayed unto Jesus, calling him their 
Lord and their God. 

When Jesus heard these prayers he went a little 
way off, bowed himself to the earth and said: 

Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the 
Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen ; and it is 
because of their belief in me, that I have chosen them 
out of the world. 

Father, I praj' thee that thou wilt give the Holy 
Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words. 

Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost, 
because they believe in me, and thou seest that they 
believe in me, because thou nearest them, and they 
pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am 
with them. 

And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and 
also for all those who shall believe on their words, that 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 283 

they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, 
Father, art in me, that we may be one. 

When our Savior had ended this prayer he re- 
turned to his disciples. He found them still praying. 
Then he blessed them, and smiled upon them. When 
he smiled the light of his countenance shone upon 
them, and in the reflection of his brightness they 
became as white as the face or the garments of Jesus ; 
— a whiteness like unto which there was nothing upon 
this earth. 

Jesus, in joy, once more retired a short distance to 
commune with his Father in heaven. He prayed: 

Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those 
whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray 
for them, and also for them who shall believe on their 
words, that they may be purified in me, through faith 
on their words, even as they are purified in me. 

Father, I pray not for the world, but for those 
whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of 
their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may 
be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may 
be one, that I may be glorified in them. 

And when Jesus had spoken these words, he came 
again unto his disciples, and behold they did pray 
steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did 
smile upon them again; and behold they were white 
even as Jesus. 

And it came to pass that he went again a little 
way off and prayed unto the Father; 

And tongue cannot speak the words which he 
prayed, neither can be written by man the words which 
he prayed. 

And the multitude did hear, and do bear record, 



284 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

and their hearts were open, and they did understand in 
their hearts the words which he prayed. 

Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the 
words which he prayed, that they cannot be written, 
neither can they be uttered by man. 

And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an 
end of praying, he came again to the disciples, and said 
unto them, so great faith have I never seen among all 
the Jews; wherefore I could not shew unto them so 
great miracles, because of their unbelief. 

Verily I say unto you, there are none of them 
that have seen so great things as ye have seen ; neither 
have they heard so great things as ye have heard. 

The Lord Jesus then commanded all to cease from 
praying, but he also told them they must not cease to 
pray in their hearts. 

He next directed them to arise: and at this word 
they stood upon their feet. Then he administered 
unto them bread and wine, the emblems of his body 
and blood given as a ransom for their sins and the sins 
of the whole world. 

Where he obtained this bread and wine no one 
knew, for neither the disciples nor the people had 
brought any with them. 

When the multitudes had eaten and drank, they 
were filled with the Spirit, and with one voice gave 
glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard. 

The Savior then commenced to explain to the 
multitudes many of the sayings of the ancient 
prophets, more especially those of Isaiah. He dwelt on 
the great events of the latter days that should precede 
his second coming; drawing particular attention to 
those that would concern and be connected with the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 285 



remnants of the house of Lehi, and in which they 
would take part. From his words we learn that in the 
latter times the everlasting gospel will be preached in 
their midst ; that many will receive it ; that they will 
take a prominent part in the building of the New 
Jerusalem, and in many other of the momentous 
events that will herald the near approach of that blessed 
day when the reign of Christ and the triumph of truth 
and righteousness shall extend from pole to pole, over 
the whole of this habitable globe. 

The Savior also recited to them many of the words 
which his Father had inspired the Prophet Malachi to 
utter. Now the Nephites kneiv nothing of Malachi, as 
he lived and prophesied to the Jews long after Lehi left 
Jerusalem. So, for the comfort and instruction of the 
Nephites, Jesus rehearsed to them the important things 
which he had revealed. In fact, to use the words of 
Mormon: And he did expound all things, even from 
the beginning until the time that he should come in his 
glory; yea, even all things which should come upon 
the face of the earth, even until the elements should 
melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt 
together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth 
should pass away; 

And even unto the great and last day, when all 
people, aud all kindreds, and all nations and tongues 
shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, 
whether they be good or whether they be evil ; 

If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting 
life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of dam- 
nation, being on a parallel, the one 011 the one hand, 
and the other on the other hand, according to the 



286 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



inerc}^, and the justice, and the holiness which is in 
Christ, who was before the world began. 

And now there cannot be written in this book even 
a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly 
teach unto the people. 



THE SAVIOR CONTINUES HIS MINISTRATIONS — HE RAISES A 
MAN FROM THE DEAD — THE LABORS OF THE TWELVE — 
THE NAME OF THE CHURCH— THE THREE WHO SHOULD 
REMAIN. 



OR THREE days did the Savior mingle with the 



Nephites and instruct them ; and even after that 
he met with them oft, and with them partook of the 
Sacrament of the Lord's supper. 

More than this, he ministered to and blessed the 
children of the Nephites. He loosed the tongues 
of these little ones, that they spoke great and marvel- 
ous things unto their parents, even, we are told, greater 
things than Jesus had revealed to the people. 

Jesus also healed all their sick. The lame, the 
blind, the deaf, were made whole, and one man he 
raised from the dead. 

From this time the twelve disciples began to bap- 
tize and teach as many as came unto them; and as 
many as were baptized in the name of Jesus were 
filled with the Holy Ghost. Many of them saw and 



CHAPTER LI. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



287 



heard wondrous things which are not lawful to be 
written. 

On one occasion when the disciples were thus 
traveling, preaching and baptizing, they united together 
in fasting and mighty prayer. The subject about 
which they prayed the most earnestly was, what 
should be the name of the church, for its members 
were not united on this matter. 

While the}^ were thus engaged Jesus again shewed 
himself unto them, and in answer to their inquiries 
regarding the name of his church he told them, What- 
soever ye shall do ye shall do it in my name; therefore 
ye shall call the church in my name ; and ye shall call 
upon the Father in my name, that he will bless the 
church for my sake. He further said to them if they 
called the church by the name of a man it would be 
that man's church, if by Moses' name it would be 
Moses' church ; but being his church it should be called 
by his holy name. And many other instructions gave 
he unto them at this time. 

It was during this interview that the Savior asked 
the Twelve, one by one, What is it that you desire of 
me, after I am gone to the Father? 

Then nine of them said, We desire after we have 
lived unto the age of man, that our ministry wherein 
thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may 
speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom. 

And he said unto them, Blessed are ye, because 
ye desire this thing of me ; therefore after that ye are 
seventy and two years old, ye shall come unto me in 
my kingdom, and with me ye shall find rest. 

Then he turned to the three who had not answered, 
and again asked them what the}' would have him do 



288 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



for them. But they faltered in their answer; their 
wish was such a peculiar one, that they w T ere afraid to 
express it. And he said unto them, Behold, I know your 
thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, 
my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before 
that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me; 

Therefore more blessed are } T e, for } T e shall never 
taste of death, but ye shall live to behold all the doings 
of the Father, unto the children of men, even until all 
things shall be fulfilled, according to the will of the 
Father, when I shall come in my glor\ T , with the powers 
of heaven; 

And ye shall never endure the pains of death ; 
but when I shall come in my glory, ye shall be changed 
in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortal- 
ity: and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of 
my Father. 

And again, ye shall not have pain while }^e shall 
dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow, save it be for the sins 
of the world : and all this will I do because of the 
thing which ye have desired of me, for ye. have desired 
that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while 
the world shall stand; 

And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; 
and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; 
yea your jo} T shall be full, even as the Father hath 
given me fulness of j'03^; and ye shall be even as I am, 
and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I 
are one. 

These are the three Nephites of whom we some- 
times hear and who either singl3 T or together have 
appeared to believers in this generation. 

Then Jesus with his finger touched the nine who 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



289 



were to die when seventy-two years old, but the three 
who were to live he did not touch ; and then he departed. 
And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were 
caught up into heaven, and saw unspeakable things. 

And it was forbidden them that they should utter, 
neither was it given unto them power that they could 
utter, the things which they saw and heard; 

The sacred record gives no information as to who 
the three were who were not to taste of death. Mor- 
mon was about to write their names, but the Lord for- 
bade him. 

Some have supposed that Nephi, the senior of the 
disciples, was one of these three undying ones, who 
remained to minister on the earth to the people of the 
latter days ; that is hid from our knowledge, no doubt 
for a wise purpose. If he was, he lived through that 
most happy era of Nephite history, when all was right- 
eousness and joy and peace throughout America's vast 
domain ; he lived to suffer, with his two brethren, all 
the persecutions which the wicked, in later days, so 
frequently imposed upon these three favored servants 
of the Lord, and in the end he retired from the midst of 
mankind when overwhelming corruption again para- 
lyzed the life of the Nephite nation. If he was one 
of the nine who passed away to the presence of their 
Savior and their God when twelve times six years old, 
he must have laid aside mortality under as happy cir- 
cumstances as ever prophet or apostle died, surrounded 
by a loving, faithful people, amongst whom the practice 
of iniquity was a remembrance of the past. No ruffian 
hands cut short his life, or tortured his latest hours, 
but in the midst of the most holy peace he passed 
away to the glories of the eternal. 



CHAPTER LII. 



THE LONG CONTINUED ERA OF PEACE AND RIGHTEOUS- 
NESS—DEATH OF NEPHI — HIS SON AMOS — AMOS THE 
SECOND. 

^THEN JESUS left the Nephites to the care of his 
disciples, he had so thoroughly filled the people 
with the influences and powers of the eternal worlds 
that evil utterly ceased in their midst ; they were united 
in all things temporal and spiritual. Universal peace 
prevailed. Love, joy, harmony, everything desirable 
to make the life of man a perfect condition of unal- 
loyed, holy happiness reigned supreme. Indeed, it may 
be said that a type, a foreshadowing of the millennium 
for once found place and foothold among the erring 
sons of humanity. 

At this blessed period Nephi, the son of Nephi, 
received the sacred plates. His duty, as the recorder 
of the doings of his people, was a most happy one ; he 
had nothing but good to relate of their lives and 
actions, and to record that perfect peace prevailed on 
all the vast continent. The Nephites increased in 
numbers (Xamanites there were none), they pros- 
pered in circumstances, they grew in material wealth, 
all of which was held in common, according to the 
order of God. They colonized and spread far abroad ; 
they rebuilt their ancient capital and many other cities ; 
they also founded many new ones. Above all they 
were rich in heavenly treasures; the Holy Spirit 
reigned in every heart and illumined every soul. 

When Nephi died ( A. C. no) this inexpressibly 
happy, heavenly state still continued in undiminished 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 29I 



warmth of divine and brotherly love and strength of 
abiding faith. All the generation to which Nephi be- 
longed entered in at the straight gate, and walked the 
narrow way to the eternal city of God; not one of them 
was lost. 

At Nephi's death his son Amos became the custo- 
dian of the holy things ; and he held them for eighty 
four years (from A. C. 110 to A. C. 194). He lived in 
the days of the Nephites' greatest prosperity and hap- 
piness. The perfect law of righteousness was still 
their only guide. But before he passed away to his 
heavenly home, a small cloud had appeared upon the 
horizon, fatal harbinger of the approaching devastating 
hurricane. A few, weary of the uninterrupted bliss, 
the perfect harmony, the universal love that every- 
where prevailed, seceded from the church and took 
upon them the title of Lamanites, which ill-boding 
name had only been known to the Nephites by tradi- 
tion for more than one hundred years. It may be 
asked, how it was possible that men and women should 
withdraw from such a holy order of society, where all 
was perfect peace, where every man dealt justly with 
his neighbor, where none inflicted wrongs and none 
suffered from injustice done them — where angels min- 
istered to the children of mortality, and heavenly rev- 
elations were their constant guides? If the inquirer 
will answer why Lucifer, the son of the morning, in 
heaven itself, rebelled against the Almighty Father, 
and led astray one-third of the angelic hosts, we will 
reply by saying that he, Satan, tempted the dissenting 
Nephites with this same spirit of rebellion to the divine 
power, and he succeeded in ensnaring them and lead- 
ing them away captive to his will. 
18 



292 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

A second Amos succeeded his father as the keeper 
of the records. His duties were not the happy ones of 
his immediate predecessors. Instead of good he had 
to chronicle much evil. 

Amos himself was a righteous man, but he lived to 
witness an ever increasing flood of iniquity break over 
the land, a phase of evil-doing that arose not from 
ignorance and false tradition, but from direct and wil- 
ful rebellion against God, and apostasy from his laws. 
The wholesome checks to vice and misery found in the 
plan of salvation were knowingly and intentionally 
removed or done away; the voice of reason was dis- 
regarded ; the promptings of the Holy Spirit were defi- 
antly repelled; men's unbridled passions again bore 
sway; disunion, dissension, violence, hatred, distress, 
dismay, bloodshed and havoc spread the wide continents 
over; and from their high pinnacle of righteousness, 
peace, happiness, refinement, social advantage, etc., the 
people were hurled once more into an abyss of misery 
and barbarism, now more profound, more torturing, 
and more degraded than ever. 



CHAPTER LIII. 



THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE APOSTASY— IT GROWS IN 
INTENSITY — THE PERSECUTION OF THE DISCIPLES — 
LAMANITES AGAIN — REAPPEARANCE OF THE GADI- 
ANTON BANDS — WAR — AMMARON HIDES THE REC- 
ORDS. 

JgY THE year A. C. 201, all the second generation 
had passed away, save a few; the people had 
greatly multiplied and spread over the face of the 
land, north and south, and had become exceedingly 
rich; they wore costly apparel, which they adorned 
with ornaments of gold and silver, pearls and precious 
stones. From this date they no more had their prop- 
erty in common, but, like the rest of the world, every 
man sought gain, wealth, power and influence for him- 
self and his. All the old evils arising from selfishness 
were revived. Soon they began to build churches after 
their own fashion, and hire preachers who pandered to 
their lusts ; some even began to deny the Savior. 

From A. C. 210 to A. C. 230, the people waxed 
greatly in iniquity and impurity of life. Different 
dissenting seels multiplied, infidels abounded. The 
three remaining disciples were sorely persecuted, not- 
withstanding that they performed many mighty mira- 
cles. They were shut up in prison, but the prisons 
were rent in twain by the power of God; they were 
cast into fiery furnaces, but the flames harmed them 
not; they were thrown into dens of wild beasts, but 
they played with the savage inmates as a child does 
with a lamb, and received no harm ; they were not sub- 



296 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



ject to many of the laws that govern our mortal bodies, 
thev had passed through a glorious change, by which 
thev were freed from earthly pain, suffering and death. 
Xot only did the wicked persecute these three immortal 
ones; others also of God's people suffered from their 
unhallowed anger and bitter hatred; but the faithful 
neither reviled at the reviler nor smote the smiter; 
they bore these things with patience and fortitude, 
remembering the pains of their Redeemer. 

In the year A. C. 231 there was a great division 
among the people. The old party lines were again 
definitely marked. Again the old animosity assumed 
shape, and Xephite and Lamanite once more became 
implacable foes. Those who rejected and renounced 
the gospel assumed the latter name, and with their 
eves open, and a full knowledge of their inexcusable 
infamy, they taught their children the same base false- 
hoods that in ages past had caused the unceasing hatred 
that reigned in the hearts of the children of Laman 
and Lemuel toward the seed of their younger brothers. 

By A. C. 244 the more wicked portion of the peo- 
ple had become exceedingly strong, as well as far more 
numerous than the righteous. They deluded them- 
selves by building all sorts of churches, with creeds to 
suit the increasing depravity of the masses. 

When 260 years had passed away, the Gadianton 
bands, with all their secret signs and abominations, 
through the cunning of Satan, again appeared and 
increased until, in A. C. 300, the}' had spread over all 
the land. By this time, also, the Nephites, having 
gradually forsaken their first love, had so far sunk in 
the abyss of iniquity that they had grown as wicked, 
as proud, as corrupt and as vile as the Lamanites. All 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 297 



were submerged in one overwhelming flood of infamy, 
and there were none that were righteous, save it were 
the disciples of Jesus. 

Still, active hostilities did not break out for some 
time ; but when war commenced, it scarcely ceased until 
that great battle near Cumorah, which brought extinc- 
tion to the Nephite race. This war, or series of wars, 
was one of peculiar horrors. All the old savagery, ten 
times intensified, was rekindled, transforming the com- 
batants into fiends. Each race seems to have striven 
to out-rival the other in its bloody and infernal inhu- 
manity. Mormon, the Nepbite prophet-general, in an 
epistle to his son Moroni, sorrowingly relates the fate 
of the Nephite prisoners — men, women and children 
— taken at Sherrizah. He adds: And the husbands 
and fathers of those women and children they [the 
Lamanites] have slain ; and they feed the women upon 
the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the 
flesh of their fathers ; and no water save a little do 
the}- give them. And notwithstanding the abomination 
of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people 
in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of 
the Lamanites have they taken prisoners ; and after 
depriving them of that which was most dear and 
precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue; 
and after they had done this thing, they did murder 
them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies 
even unto death; and after they have done this, they 
devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the 
hardness of their hearts ; and they do it for a token of 
bravery. Such was the horrible condition into which 
open, wilful, determined rejection of the gospel had 
brought both races. 



298 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Amos entrusted the records to his son Aminaron 
in the }^ear 306 A. C. 

Owing to the increasing depravity and vileness of 
the Nephites, he was constrained by the Holy Ghost 
to hide np all the sacred things which had been handed 
down from generation to generation (A. C. 320). 
The place where he hid them is said to have been in 
the land An turn, in a hill which was called Shim. 
After he had hid them np, he informed Mormon, then 
a child ten years old, of what he had done, and placed 
the buried treasures in his charge. He instructed Mor- 
mon to go, when he was about twenty-four years old, 
to the hill where they were hid, and take the plates of 
Nephi and record thereon what he had observed con- 
cerning the people. The remainder of the records, etc., 
he was to leave where they were. 



CHAPTER LIV. 

THE LAST LONG SERIES OF WARS — MORMON — THE FINAL 
CONFLICT AT CUMORAH — THE LAST OF THE NEPHITES. 

JT WAS in the year 322 A. C. that actual war broke 
out between the Nephites and Lamanites, for the 
first time since the Redeemer's appearing. A number 
of battles were fought, in which the armies of the for- 
mer were victorious. Four years later the savage con- 
test was renewed. In the interim iniquity had greatly 
increased. As foretold by the prophets, men's property 
became slippery, things movable were subject to unac- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 299 

countable disappearances, and dread and distrust filled 
the hearts of the disobedient. When the war recom- 
menced, the youthful Mormon was chosen to lead the 
armies of his nation. 

The next year saw disaster follow the Nephite 
cause. That people retreated before the Lamanites to 
the north countries. The } T ear following they met 
with still further reverses, and in A. C. 329 rapine, 
revolution and carnage prevailed throughout all the 
land. 

In 330 the Lamanite king, Aaron, with an army of 
forty-four thousand men, was defeated by Mormon, 
who had forty-two thousand warriors under his com- 
mand. 

Five years later the Lamanites drove the degen- 
erate Nephites to the land of Jason, and thence yet 
further northward to the land of Shem. But in the 
year following the tide of victory changed, and Mor- 
mon, with thirty thousand troops, defeated fifty thous- 
and of the enemy in the land of Shem; then he fol- 
lowed up with such energetic measures that by the 
year 349 the Nephites had again taken possession of 
the lands of their inheritance. 

These successes resulted in a treaty between the 
Nephites as one party and the Lamanites and Gadian- 
ton robbers as the other. By its provisions the 
Nephites possessed the country north of the Isthmus, 
while the Lamanites held the regions south. A peace 
of ten years followed this treaty. 

In the year 360, the king of the Lamanites again 
declared war. To repel the expected invasion, the peo- 
ple of Nephi gathered at the land of Desolation. There 
the Lamanites attacked them, were defeated, and 



300 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

returned home. Not content with this repulse, the 
succeeding year they made another inroad into the 
northern country, and were again repulsed. The 
Nephites then took the initiative and invaded the 
southern continent, but being unsuccessful, were driven 
back to their frontier at Desolation (A. C. 363). The 
same season, the city of Desolation was captured by 
the Lamanitish warriors, but was wrested from them 
the year following. 

This state of things continued another twenty 
years; war, contention, rapine, pillage, and all the 
horrors incident to the letting loose of men's most 
depraved and brutal passions, filled the land. Some- 
times one army conquered, sometimes the other. Now 
it was the Nephites who were pouring their forces into 
the south; then the Lamanites who were overflowing 
the north. Whichever side triumphed, that triumph 
was of short duration; but to all it meant sacrifice, 
cruelty, bloodguiltness and woe. At last, when every 
nerve had been strained for conquest, every man col- 
lected who could be found, the two vast hosts, with 
unquenchable hatred and unrelenting obstinacy, met 
at the hill Cumorah to decide the destiny of half the 
world. It was the final struggle, which was to end in 
the extermination of one or both of the races that had 
conjointly ruled America for nearly a thousand years 
( A. C. 385). When the days of that last fearful strug- 
gle were ended, all but twenty-four of the Nephite race 
had been, by the hand of violence, swept into untimely 
graves, save a few, a very few, who had fled into the 
south country. The powers, the glories, the beauties 
of this favored branch of Israel's chosen race had sunk 
beneath a sea of blood; the word of their God, whom 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 301 



they had so long disregarded, was vindicated; the warn- 
ings of his servants were fulfilled. 

The Lamanites were now rulers of the western 
world, their traditional enemies being utterly destroyed. 
But they did not cultivate peace; no sooner were 
the Nephites obliterated, than they commenced fight- 
ing among themselves. The lonely Moroni, the last 
of the Nephites, tells us, A. C. 400, that the Lamanites 
are at war one with another ; and the face of the land is 
one continued round of murder and bloodshed ; and no 
man knoweth the end of the war. And again, yet 
later, he writes : Their wars are exceeding fierce among 
themselves. 

Such was the sad condition of the Lamanite race 
in the early part of the fifth century after Christ. 
There the inspired record closes; henceforth we have 
nothing but uncertain tradition. The various contend- 
ing tribes, in their thirst for blood so long gratified, 
sunk deeper and deeper into savage degradation; the 
arts of civilization were almost entirely lost to the 
great mass of the people. Decades and centuries 
rolled by, and after a time, in some parts, a better 
state of things slowly arose. In Central Amer- 
ica, Mexico, Peru, and other places, the foundations 
of new kingdoms were laid, in which were gradu- 
ually built up civilizations peculiarly their own, but 
in many ways bearing record to the idiosyncrasies 
of their ancient predecessors. Of this we have here 
little to do; many of their traditions (though disre- 
garded by mankind) bear unequivocal testimony to the 
truth of the Book of Mormon, and we have the joyous 
assurance that, as the words of their ancient prophets 
recorded therein have been fulfilled to the letter in 



3 02 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



their humiliation ; and as they have drunk to the dregs 
from the cup of bitterness of the wrath of God, so is* 
the glorious day now dawning, when the light of the 
eternal Gospel shall illumine the hearts of their des- 
cendants ; fill them with the love of God ; renew their 
ancient steadfastness and faith, and make them the fit- 
ting instruments in his hands of accomplishing all his 
holy purposes with regard to them, in which also shall 
be fulfilled all the gracious, glorious promises made by 
Jehovah to this transplanted branch of the olive tree of 
Israel. 



CHAPTER LV. 

THE HISTORIANS OF THE NEPHITES — THE PLATES OF NEPHI 
— LIST OF THEIR CUSTODIANS — THEIR LENGTHENED 
YEARS. 

gHORT LY after the arrival of Lehi and his little col- 
ony on the promised land, Nephi received a com- 
mandment from the Lord to make certain "plates of 
ore" upon which to engrave a record of the doings of 
his people. Some time later, or between thirty and 
forty years after the departure of Lehi from Jerusalem, 
Nephi was further instructed regarding the records. 
The Lord then said unto him, Make other plates; and 
thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are 
good in my sight, for the profit of thy people. Nephi, 
to be obedient to the commandment of the Lord, went 
and made these other plates, and upon them were 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 303 

engraven the records from which the first portions of 
the Book of Mormon are translated; or those parts 
known to ns as the First and Second Books of Nephi, 
and the Books of Jacob, Enos, Jarom, and Omni. 

The two sets of plates manufactured by Nephi 
were both nsed as records of his people and called by 
his name ; bnt their contents were not identical. Upon 
the first set was engraven the political history of the 
Nephites, npon the second their religious growth and 
development. The one described the acts of their 
kings, and the wars, contentions and destructions which 
came upon the nation ; the other contained the story of 
the dealings of the Lord with that people, the ministry 
of his servants, their teachings and prophecies. Of 
the contents of the first we know but little, simply 
that which we gather from incidental remarks made in 
the second; but the second is given to us in its com- 
pleteness in the translation contained in the Book of 
Mormon. 

It would have been very interesting to students of 
history to have received the detailed account of the 
reigns of the kings who governed the people of Nephi, 
that is, to those who would accept these records as of 
God; but it was far more important that those most 
sacred truths contained in the revelations of heaven to 
that people should be made manifest to this generation. 
The one would be a satisfaction to our intellectual 
natures, but the other is necessary to our eternal sal- 
vation ; for the Book of Mormon contains the fulness 
of the gospel, and also many things plain and most 
precious that have been taken out of the Jewish scrip- 
tures, through the craft or ignorance of apostate Jews 
and Christians. For this most important reason those 



304 STORY QF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

portions of the Nephite records that are now contained 
in the Book of Morrnon were first revealed ; we shonld 
never have been willing to have accepted the others 
withont them, for it is npon the basis of religion, not 
of history, that the Latter-da}- Saints accept the Book 
of Mormon. We also have the promise that other 
plates will be translated and given nnto ns in the 
Lord's dne time, and donbtless among them will be 
those first plates npon which Nephi recorded, with snch 
detail, the travels and labors in the wilderness of his 
father and associates. 

The plates of Nephi containing the sacred annals 
of his people were not entirety filled with engraving 
nntil about two hundred years before Christ. They 
were made b}^ Nephi between the 3-ears 570 and 560 
before the advent of the Redeemer; but the record on 
them goes back to the time when Lehi left Jerusalem, 
or 600 B. C, so the}' in realhy contain the history of 
God's dealings with that branch of the house of Israel 
for about four hundred years. 

When Nephi died he transferred these sacred rec- 
ords to the care of his brother Jacob. From that time 
to the time that Moroni finally hid them in the hill 
Cumorah, they were in the hands of four families, who 
had charge of them, as near as can be told from the 
abridgement that we have in the Book of Mormon, as 
follows: Jacob and his descendants held them from B. 
C. 546 to about B. C. 200, when they were transferred 
to King Benjamin, who, with his son Mosiah, the 
younger, held them until B. C. 91, at which time they 
were given into the care of Alma, the chief judge; and 
he and his posterity retained them until 320 years after 
the advent of the Messiah. After these, Mormon and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 305 

Moroni were the custodians until the close of the rec- 
ord, in the year 420 after Christ. 

In the table that follows, B. C. signifies before 
Christ, and A. C. after Christ, counting from the true 
date of his birth as given in the Book of Mormon, 
and not from the accepted Christian Anno Domini 
• year of our Lord 1 , which is now almost universally 
admitted to be from two to four years wrong. In those 
places where no date is given, the desired information 
is not afforded in the Book of Mormon, and therefore 
can only be guessed at. We therefore prefer to leave 
such places blank. It will also be remembered that 
Mormon, just before the great last battle, which 
resulted in the extinction of the Nephite nation, hid 
up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been 
entrusted to him by the hand of the Lord, save it were 
the few plates which he gave to his son Moroni. 

The following are the names of the Xephite his- 
torians, with the times during which they held the 
records : 

Xephi. fro::: to 546 B. C. 

Jacob, from 546 to . 

Enos, from to 422. 

Jarom, from 422 to 362. 

Omni, from 362 to 31S. 

Amaron, from 318 to 2S0. 

Chemish, from 2S0 to . 

Abinadom, from to . 

Amaleki, from to 200 (about). 

King Benjamin, from 200 to 125. 

King Mosiah, from 125 to 91. 

Alma (the younger), from 91 to 73. 

Helaman (the elder), from 73 to 57. 



306 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Shiblon, from 57 to 53. 

Helaman (the younger), from 53 to 39. 

Nephi, from 39 to 1. 

Nephi (the disciple), from 1 to 34 A. C. 

Nephi, from 34 to no. 

Amos, from no to 194. 

Amos (the younger), from 194 to 306. 

Ammaron, from 306 to 320. 

Mormon, from 320 to 385. 

Moroni, from 385 to 420. 

In the above table, one thing will most certainly 
strike the attention of the observant reader. It is the 
lengthened period that some of the historians held the 
records. Jacob and his son Enos held them one hun- 
dred and twenty-four years. Jarom held them sixty. 
In this fact we find a very pleasing confirmation of 
the statement of Nephi that during the time he and his 
brethren were wandering in the wilderness, living on 
raw meat and suffering all kinds of hardships, fatigue 
and privations, the Lord so greatly blessed the women 
in the compan}^ that they were strong, yea, even like 
unto the men, having an abundance of milk to suckle 
the babes born unto them. Jacob was born at this time, 
and doubtless inherited an exceedingly strong constitu- 
tion, which he transmitted to his posterity. 

The second epoch at which the longevity of the 
custodians of the plates is remarkable is during that 
reign of universal righteousness which followed the 
ministry of the crucified Savior. By living unto the 
Lord in all things their lives were marvelously pro- 
longed; especially were those of the children born 
during the continuance of this happy and holy 
period and before the effects of the after apostasy had 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



307 



begun to work on them. Thus Nephi, the son of Nephi 
the disciple, had charge of the records seventy-six 
years, his son .Amos eighty-four years, and Amos, the 
son of the last named, the wonderful period of one 
hundred and twelve years; or father, son and grandson, 
three generations, a total of two hundred and seventy- 
two years. What a powerful sermon this one fact 
preaches in favor of entire submission of body and 
soul to the perfect and perfecting law of God. 



CHAPER LVI. 

THE WOMEN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON— THEIR CONDITION 
AND POSITION — ABISH — ISABEL — MARRIAGE — AMUDEK. 

IS somewhat noticeable how little prominence is 
given to womankind in the historical narrative of the 
Book of Mormon, and unfortunately when mention is 
made of her it too frequently grows out of man's sins 
and her misfortunes. Of all the descendants of Lehi 
and Sariah, but two women are mentioned by name; 
one, Abish, a converted waiting woman to a queen of 
the Lamanites ; the other, Isabel, a harlot of the land 
of Siron, whose meretricious charms seduced Corian- 
ton, the son of Alma, from the work of the ministry 
among the Zoramites. 

Although we have but few individual characters 
standing out in relief from the historical background, 
yet from many incidental references as the story of the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Nephites is told, we are led to the conclusion that 
women among that people enjoyed a much greater 
degree of liberty, and wielded a more powerful influ- 
ence than they did among contemporary Gentile 
nations on the eastern hemisphere — say in Babylon, 
Persia, or Greece. We deem this mainly attributable 
to two causes, first, the Israelitish origin of the race; 
and again, the power and grace with which the princi- 
ples of the gospel were preached by a long succession 
of prophets, who almost uninterruptedly ministered to 
the seed of Xephi. That this latter cause had much 
to do with woman's pleasing condition among that 
people is evident, for we find from the historical narra- 
tive that whenever they turned from the Lord it was 
then that tribulation and oppression came upon their 
wives and daughters, and they suffered from the iniqui- 
ties of their husbands and the fury of their enemies. 
With regard to the first named cause it is generally 
admitted that the Hebrew women of antiquity enjoyed 
greater liberty and possessed more privileges than did 
those of the surrounding nations of the same period. 
Let the Bible and the history of contemporary nations 
be compared and the difference is apparent. 

The Xephites lived in a dispensation varying con- 
siderably from that of the latter days. They observed 
the law of Moses, to which was added the higher code 
of the gospel. Our readers know how well both 
these protect the rights of woman, and how sacredly 
they guard the marriage covenant; infidelity to that 
sacred bond of union being regarded, whether in the 
man or in the woman, as a most heinous offense, and 
wor thy of the severest penalties. 

At the commencement of the Nephite national life. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 309 

when they were few in numbers, they seem for a time to 
have been tainted with some of the social vices of 
the degenerate people from whom the Lord had 
separated them. They committed great immoralities 
and took wives for utterly unworthy purposes, and with- 
out the fear of the Lord before their eyes ; and after 
they had taken them, they frequently abused or neg- 
lected them, until their suffering cries came up before 
the Eternal One, and heaven forbade any man among 
them taking more than one wife, but adding this pro- 
viso: For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up 
seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise 
they shall hearken to these things. This injunction, 
we are of the opinion, was afterwards removed, and the 
foreshadowed command given, as is evident from the 
later history of the Nephites, that in a better era of 
their national life polygamy was sanctioned by the law 
and practised among them, and that, indeed, by the 
men most favored of God. As an example, we will cite 
the prophet Amulek, the devoted friend and zealous 
fellow laborer of the younger Alma; the only man in 
all the vast city of Ammonihah to whom an angel was 
sent, and in whose behalf mighty miracles were 
wrought. He expressly mentions his women, and as 
he places them next to himself and before his children, 
his father and all his other kinsfolk and kindred, and 
nowhere uses the word wife or wives, it is evident that 
his wives were meant and not serving women. No one, 
surely, would argue that he would give to the latter 
the place of honor in his address to his fellow citizens, 
before his parents and his children. As another 
instance, the great number of Chief Judge Pahoran's 

sons is incidentally mentioned. 

19 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



It was during the brighter days of the rule of the 
Judges that woman, more than at any time before the 
appearance of the Messiah on this continent, seems to 
have been most highly regarded and esteemed. The 
Xephites were then living under that excellent code of 
laws drawn up by the inspired king Mosiah, which beat- 
evidence of having been most admirably adapted to a 
people worthy of a large amount of liberty. This age 
was adorned with the presence of such men as Alma. 
Moroni (the Prophet-General of the Xephite armies^, 
Amnion and the other sons of king Mosiah, Hela- 
man, Amulek and others conspicuous for their devo- 
tion to the laws of God and the rights and liberties 
of the people. General Moroni, than whom a more 
devoted man to the cause of truth and humanity never 
lived, is especially conspicuous in his untiring efforts 
for the safety and happiness of the wives and little 
ones of his people. On the standard to which he ral- 
lied the patriot warriors of the republic, which he 
named The Title of Liberty, he inscribed, In memory 
of our God, our religion and freedom, and our peace, 
our wives and our children. This seems to have been 
his watch ward throughout the long and sanguinary 
succeeding campaigns, in which he defended the Xe- 
phites from the savage onslaughts of their Lamanitish 
foes. Again and again we find him rallying the hosts 
of X"ephi with this soul stirring cry, and under the 
ardor it wrought in their hearts carrying triumph to 
their banners and freedom to their land. One series of 
events that occurred during this long war sheds 
a most pleasing light upon the inner life of the faithful 
among the Xephites; it is found in the story of Hela- 
man and his two thousand striplings, who though very 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



young, were so full of the spirit of faith implanted in 
their hearts by the wise counsels of their loving and 
God-fearing mothers, that in the might of Jehovah 
they went forth against the enemies of their adopted 
country (for they were Lamanites by birth), and no 
power could withstand them. Their mothers' teach- 
ings and their mothers' prayers were weapons of des- 
truction to their foes and shields of defence to them- 
selves. They went forth conquering and to conquer, 
and the All-seeing One only knows how much the 
teachings of those saintly women effected towards the 
preservation of the Nephite commonwealth from 
imminent destruction. 

And what shall we say of the condition of woman 
in that blessed Sabbatic era succeeding the glorious 
appearing of the Redeemer on this western land, when 
for two hundred years this continent enjoyed undis- 
turbed and heavenly peace; when all men devoutly 
worshiped the Lord and dealt justly with their fellows 
— men or women? It was an age in which no woman 
was wronged, no deserted children pined in the streets, 
no abused wives mourned in secret, or lifted their sor- 
rowing hearts in anguish to the Great Father of man- 
kind; no brazen courtesans flaunted on the broad 
highways, or ruined maidens hid their sorrow and 
shame wherever seclusion was the most profound. 
The inspired historian tells us that if ever there were 
a happy people on this earth, there they were found; 
and most happy must have been the gentler ones, who 
bear in the stubborn battle of life so large a share of 
its sorrows and misfortunes. 

But this golden age was soon followed by its 
opposite, when even- virtue seems to have been sup- 



312 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

planted by a vice, and all good was turned to evil. At 
almost lightning speed, the people having once taken 
the downward track, the nation rushed to ruin, until 
this continent became one vast field of carnage, rapine, 
and misery, over which devils gloated and hell enlarged 
itself. Indeed, the whole land seemed peopled with a 
race of demons who perpetrated cruelties that could 
alone be conceived in the hearts of the damned. Dur- 
ing these lengthened years of untold horror the fair 
daughters of the land suffered unspeakable barbarities. 
Life, virtue, everything was the plaything of the victor, 
be he Nephite or Lamanite, until in the hate of revenge 
and the fury of despair they joined their national 
leaders on the battlefield, and with their husbands, 
sons and brothers, d}^ed their hands in the blood of 
the foe. Nor did they arm themselves alone, but with 
feelings turned to those of monsters, they put weapons 
into the hands of their children and inflamed their 
young minds with the savage love of slaughter. The 
war was not one for supremacy alone; it was for 
national and individual existence; and, midst a sea of 
carnage, unparalleled on any land save ours, the 
Nephite nation was swept out of existence, leaving 
scarce a trace behind, a most terrible instance of divine 
mere}- scorned and divine laws abused. 



CHAPTER LVII. 



DOMEvSTlC LIFE AMONG THE NEPHITES — HOUSEHOLD DUTIES 

— DRESS— ORNAMENTS— HOMES — FOOD — MANUFACTURES 

— TRANSPORTATION. 

T^ROM the casual reference found in the historic por- 



tions of the Book of Mormon, we are led to infer 
that the domestic life of the Nephites was patterned, 
as it very naturally would be, after the manners and 
customs of their forefathers in the land of Jerusalem , 
modified, of course, by time and their surroundings. 
The changed material conditions, the absence of older 
though co-existent peoples and powers, the new and 
sometimes strange animal and vegetable productions, 
etc., all had an influence in the formation and growth 
of their civilization; trivial, perhaps, when considered 
separately, but when taken together, and working for 
centuries, having a marked effect on their public polity 
and home life. It is, however, necessary to explain 
that the details of the latter are very meagre, and only 
obtained incidentally, as they may form a link in the 
chain of some historical narrative, or be introduced as 
an illustration in some doctrinal teaching or prophetic 
warning. 

In the midst of a people guided or reproved 
through their entire national life by an almost continu- 
ous succession of inspired teachers^ it is but reasonable 
to conclude that the domestic virtues were assiduously 
cultivated, and all departures therefrom severely re- 
buked. Industry, economy, thrift, prudence, and mod- 
eration in dress were evidently as much the subject 
of the prophet's commendation then as in these latter 
days. Zeniff and others directly refer to the labors 




314 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

and toils of the Nephite women in spinning and mak- 
ing the material with which they clothed themselves 
and their households; and the same fabrics which 
delight the modern daughters of Israel also appear to 
have pleased the eyes of their Nephite sisters in the 
long ago. We must, however, say to the praise of 
these ancient worthies, the mothers of Mosiah, Alma, 
Moroni, Helaman, and of the two thousand striplings 
who loved to call the latter father, that the beauty of 
their apparel was the workmanship of their own hands. 
Steam looms, spinning jennys, and their like, were 
unknown, so far as we can learn, to the enterprising, 
vigorous, God-blessed race that for nearly a thousand 
years filled the American continent with the favored 
seed of Jacob's much-loved son. 

The materials of which the clothing of this race 
were made are frequently mentioned in the inspired 
record. Fine silk, fine twined or twisted linen, and 
cloth of every kind are often spoken of. In one place 
good homely cloth is mentioned. By the word homely 
we must not understand the writer to mean ugly ; the 
word is there evidently applied in its original signifi- 
cance, as it is used to-day in England, for homelike or 
fit for home — such material as was suited to the every- 
day life of an industrious, hard-working people. 

The love of ornaments has ever been a character- 
istic of Abraham's chosen race. The golden earrings 
and bracelets that gladdened the eyes of Rebecca, 
when sought as the wife of the patriarch's son, have 
had their counterpart in many a more modern instance. 
It was so with Sariah's myriad daughters. Time and 
again we read of pride and vanity entering the hearts 
of the people, and of their affections being set upon 




THE MOTHERS OF THE NEPHITES. 



316 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



their costly apparel and their ornaments of gold, of 
silver, of pearls, of precions things (gems?), their 
bracelets, ringlets, etc. 

Xor would it be just to convey the idea that the 
gentler sex were alone guilty of these extravagances ; 
the sacred record admits of no such conclusions. We 
cannot judge by the sober drabs, greys and browns 
with which the civilized gentleman of to-day clothes 
himself, of the colors, the styles or the fashions of the 
raiment of the Xephite beaux. The only safe conclu- 
sion that can be drawn is that the}' probably copied to 
some extent the gorgeousness of tropical nature by 
which the}' were surrounded. Xor is it reasonable to 
suppose that a single description would apply to the 
styles in the days of Lehi, of Benjamin and of Mor- 
mon, any more than the varied fashions of the days of 
the Williams, the Edwards, the Jameses and the Georges 
of English history could all be condensed into one sen- 
tence. It is not conceivable that dress, or anything 
else, remained entirely unchanged throughout a thou- 
sand years, though it is quite possible that those 
changes were nothing like so sudden or so radical as 
have been those that have taken place among the lead- 
ing nations of western Europe. On these points, how- 
ever, so far as the record of Mormon is concerned, we 
can simply surmise, as the military accoutrements, 
armor, etc., of the warrior are the only habiliments 
with regard to which he gives any particular details. 
It is this poverty of information on this and kindred 
subjects that makes it so difficult for our artists to illus- 
trate, with any assurance of approximate correctness, 
scenes and incidents from Book of Mormon history. 

Xor can we learn much more with regard to their 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



residences than we can concerning their dress. The 
most detailed account given of any man's home is that 
of Nephi, the son of Helaman. His house was situ- 
ated on the main highway which led to the chief market 
place of the city of Zarahemla. In front of his house 
was a garden, and near the gate opening upon the 
highway was a tower, upon the top of whicji the 
prophet was accustomed to pray. These towers, from 
the numerous references made to them, either as private 
property or attached to their places of worship, as watch 
towers or as part of their system of fortification, must 
have formed quite a conspicuous feature in the Nephite 
landscape. 

The residences of the rich were elegant and spa- 
cious, adorned with exceedingly fine wood work, carv- 
ing, etc., and with ornaments of gold, silver, copper, 
brass, steel and other metals. From the importance 
attached to the fact that but little timber existed in the 
northern continent when the Xephites began to spread 
over it, and consequently that the immigrants had to 
build their houses of cement, it is presumable that 
wood entered largely into the composition of the build- 
ings in the southern lands. This idea is strengthened 
by the frequent reference made to the skill of their 
artisans in wood working, and in the excellence they 
had attained in the refining of ores and the manufac- 
ture of metal ornaments for their houses and persons. 
Regarding- one monarch it is written: King Noah 
built many elegant and spacious buildings ; and he 
ornamented them with fine works of wood, and of all 
manner of precious things, of gold and of silver, and 
of iron, and of brass, and of ziff and of copper; and 
he also built him a spacious palace, and a throne in 



318 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the midst thereof, all of which was of fine wood, and 
was ornamented with gold and silver, and with precions 
things. And he also caused that his workmen should 
work all manner of fine work within the walls of the 
temple, of fine wood, and of copper, and of brass, etc. 
This was in the land of Lehi-Nephi. 

We next turn to the food of this people. Here, 
also, we are without definite information, but we can 
measurably judge of their staple articles of diet by 
noticing the grains they cultivated most extensively: 
to wit, wheat, corn and barley, the latter appearing to 
have been the standard by which they gauged the 
price of other commodities. Great attention was also 
given to the planting of fruit trees and grape vines. 
From the fruit of the grape abundance of wine was 
manufactured, of which (we think we do the Nephites 
no injustice by saying it) they were as fond as are the 
generality of mankind. They were not as attached to 
a meat diet as were the Lamanites, who were great 
flesh-eaters, but they apparently kept large flocks and 
herds as a source of food supply, as well as for wool, 
leather, etc., and to provide for the numerous sacrifices 
enjoined by the law of Moses, which they carefully 
observed, until the offering of that greatest of all sacri- 
fices on Mount Calvary, of which all the rest were but 
types and shadows. 

Thus we may conclude that bread made from 
corn, wheat or barley; the flesh of their flocks and 
herds, together with that of wild animals caught in the 
chase; fruit, wine, milk and honey, formed the basis of 
their daily food, differing, no doubt, in details, accord- 
ing to the location, climate and other circumstances. 

Their methods of locomotion and modes of trans- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 319 



portation are not described. They were very rich in 
horses, and donbtless made use of them as beasts of 
burden. The fact that large bodies of this people made 
extended journeys in their various migrations and col- 
onizings, is beyond dispute. From one family they 
filled a continent, or more properly two continents. 
The use of ships is not mentioned until the middle of 
the last century before the Christian era. These were 
then used in conveying immigrants, lumber, provisions y 
etc., to the northern continent; the first ship-building, 
of which we have an account, having been done at the 
settlements near the Isthmus of Panama, to which 
point good roads had by that time been constructed. 
In the earlier history of the Nephites it is probable 
that most of their material was transported on pack 
animals, as is done to-day in the regions then inhabited 
by them. In the dense tropical vegetation of the wil- 
derness, and along the mountain slopes of the Andes, 
road-making was difficult and expensive, and packing 
on the backs of animals (say the horse, the mule, the 
llama, the alpaca, etc.,) was the cheapest and most con- 
venient to a comparatively poor and small people. 

Chariots are mentioned but seldom. The Laman- 
ite monarch, Lamoni, had his horses and chariots, to 
which reference is more than once made; and in after 
years, when the Nephites gathered with all they pos- 
sessed into one place, to defend themselves against the 
Gadianton robbers (seventeen years after the birth of 
Christ), they removed their provisions, grain, etc., by 
means of vehicles called chariots. These are the only 
instances, of which the writer remembers, where vehi- 
cles of any kind are spoken of in the Book of Mormon, 
in connection with the inhabtants of this continent. 



CHAPTER LVIIL 



AGRICULTURE AMONG THE NEPHITES — GRAINS — STOCK RAIS- 
ING — IRRIGATION. 

ATO SOONER had Lehi and his little colony arrived 



on the promised land than they commenced the 
cultivation of the soil, planting therein the seeds they 
had brought with them from the land of Judea, which, 
to their great joy, yielded abundantly. The grains and 
fruits of the Asiatic continent were found to flourish 
as luxuriantly in the soil of America as in their native 
land. This not only held good in the land of the 
Nephites' first inheritance, but also in the lands of 
their later possession — Nephi, Zarahemla, etc., as all 
through the Book of Mormon we have occasional refer- 
ences (incidental to the story of their history) to the 
success that attended their farming operations. Nor 
must it be imagined that their business was carried on 
in the primitive manner that characterizes the labors 
of Laman's degenerate descendants to-day. Agricul- 




I 

I' F 
J * 

STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 121 

l| * 

I tural machinery, and all manner of tools of every kind 
to till the ground, are mentioned by more than one 
writer. 

Of cereals, corn, wheat and barley appear to have 
; been, as in the land of their forefathers, the staple 
crops. If we mistake not, oats are never mentioned in 
the Bible, nor is rye spoken of more than once or 
twice. In the Book of Mormon we have no recollection 
of the mention of either of these grains. On the other 
hand they appear to have cultivated grains with which 
we are unacquainted, known to them by the names of 
neas and sheum. Had there been any English equiva- 
lents to these words, we should doubtless have had 
them as in other cases, instead of the original Nephite 
names. 

All kinds of fruit flourished under their careful 
cultivation. Special reference is several times made to 
vineyards and grape culture, as well as to the manufac- 
ture of wine. Like the moderns, they understood the 
secret of fortifying or strengthening it with liquor or 
alcohol, of which knowledge they took advantage when 
paying tribute to the Lamanites, in cases when they 
intended to escape from their taskmasters while the 
latter were under the influence of this intoxicating 
drink. 

It is evident from the sacred record that the 
Nephites carried on their farming very much in the 
same manner, and for very much the same reasons, as 
the early settlers in Utah. When a new colony was 
planted, a town or village was built in a suitable loca- 
tion, somewhat after the style of our early forts. This 
city or settlement was generally named after the 
founder or the leader of the colony. The farming land 



322 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

contiguous was called by the same name. The land 
was tilled in every convenient place around the city, and 
when the Lamanites appeared, or other danger threat- 
ened, the people retreated into their place of refuge, in 
the center of their lands. As an example, we will cite 
the case of the followers of Alma, in the land of 
Helam. When the army of the Lamanites made their 
unwelcome appearance, the people were mostly engaged 
in tilling the soil. At the coming of the dreaded foe 
they gathered with all haste into the city to await de- 
velopments and to receive the counsel their wise, brave 
and good leader might give them. By his advice, the 
men went out of the city in a body, and made a treaty 
with the Lamanites, which the latter, as soon as their 
purpose was accomplished, failed to keep. 

It is probable that in many parts of the continent 
some system of irrigation was adopted to raise the 
crops. But this was not necessary in all portions of 
the Nephite possessions ; we are inclined to think it was 
not so in the cultivated portions of the valley of the 
Sidon. Certain it is that when the righteous Nephi 
(the father of one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by 
Jesus from among the Israel of this western conti- 
nent) called upon the Lord, at his request a famine 
desolated the land. The sacred historian records : For 
the earth was smitten that it was dry, and did not yield 
forth grain in the season of grain. But when the 
people had repented and Nephi had pleaded in their 
behalf, it is written, And it came to pass in the seventy- 
sixth year (B. C. 16), the Lord did turn away his anger 
from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon 
the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in 
the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 323 

did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain. 
We jndge from this that in those days the Nephite 
agriculturist depended on the direct rains from heaven • 
for it appears that in the same year that they fell, the 
grain harvest was reaped, and the fruit harvest gath- 
ered. But it is unsafe to form positive theories on 
these points, until we fully understand the great 
changes that took place on the face of the land, with 
consequent alterations of climate, etc., at the time of 
the awful convulsions that attended the crucifixion of 
our Lord and Savior. 

Except in the days of their excessive pride and 
ungodly arrogance, the calling of the agriculturist 
among the Nephites was a most honorable one, as in 
truth it should be among all people. King Mosiah, 
the beloved, reminded the people that, to prevent their 
taxes being grievous, he himself did till the earth for 
his support, and to maintain the expenses of the mon- 
archy. With this royal example, it is no wonder that 
the farmer and the horticulturist were esteemed 
among the greatest of nature's noblemen. 

The Nephites were also successful stock-raisers ; 
their flocks and herds formed no inconsiderable portion 
of their wealth. The abundance of their horned stock, 
sheep, goats, wild goats, horses, fatlings, etc., is fre- 
quently referred to. To this industry the Lamanites, 
who were great meat-eaters, also gave considerable 
attention. It was a business that suited their semi-civ- 
ilization. It did not tie them down so completely to one 
spot, as did agriculture and manufacture. But it is a 
notable fact that whenever any bodies of Lamanites 
passed over to the Nephites, they not only adopted the 
latter' s religion and faith, but also their mode of living, 



324 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 




and became skilled in the pnrsnits of industry. As an 
example, we read, in the days of the Judges, of many 
of these people joining the people of Ammon (their 
former brethren), when they did begin to labor exceed- 
ingly, tilling the ground, raising all manner of grain, 
and flocks and herds of every kind. 



SCIENCE AND LITERATURE AMONG THE NEPHITES— THEIR 
ASTRONOMY AND GEOGRAPHY — THE LEARNING OF 



HE NEPHITES were unusually happy in having, 



as the founders of their nation, men who were not 
only wise in the ways of the Lord, but also learned in 
the knowledge of the world. Most races that have 
made a mark in history have had to grope their way 
for centuries from darkness to light, from ignorance to 
knowledge. Little by little such races have advanced 
in the path of civilization, falling into manifold errors, 
and committing grievous blunders. With Lehi and 
his posterity it was not so. They were taken from the 
midst of a people who were surrounded by the most 
powerful and refined nations of antiquity, with whose 
wisdom and learning Lehi was undoubtedly well 
acquainted. We can readily conceive that the Lord, in 
planting this mighty and vigorous offshoot of the house 
of Joseph, on the richest and most favored land of all 
the world, would not only choose one of his most faith- 



CHAPTER LIX. 



EGYPT. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 325 



ful, but also one of his most intelligent servants, to 
commence the work. Indeed, on the very first page of 
the Book of Mormon, Nephi incidentally refers to the 
learning of his father; which learning, we infer from 
many passages in the sacred record, was obtained by 
Lehi in Egypt, as well as in Palestine, the associations 
between the inhabitants of these two countries being, 
in his day, very close, and the inter-communication 
very frequent. 

As the foundation of their literature, Lehi and his 
colony carried with them a copy of the sacred scrip- 
tures, which contained not only an account of God's 
dealings with mankind, from the creation to the age of 
Jeremiah, but also the only complete history in exist- 
ence of the people who lived before the deluge. The 
Egyptians, Chaldeans and other nations had mangled, 
mythic and jumbled-up accounts of man's history 
from the creation to the flood; but the Nephites pos- 
sessed the details of this epoch in much greater com- 
pleteness than even Christendom does to-day. These 
scriptures — historical and doctrinal — being numer- 
ously reproduced and scattered among the people, 
formed the basis of Nephite literature, giving them the 
immense advantage over all other people of possessing 
the unpolluted word of God in every age then past, 
supplemented by a correct and undisputed history of 
the results, to the world, of man's obedience or dis- 
obedience to these heavenly messages. How much 
more complete these scriptures were than the Bible of 
Christendom, is shown by the numerous references to 
the lives, and quotations from the teachings, of ancient 
worthies, Melchizedek, Jacob, Joseph and others; to 

the acts and infamies of Cain, etc., not found in the 

20 



326 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Bible, as well as by lengthy quotations from ancient 
prophets, whose names — Zenos, Zenoch, Neum, Ezias 
— are not even mentioned in its pages. How much 
modern Christianity has lost by these omissions may 
be partially inferred from the beauty and grandeur of 
the extracts given in the Book of Mormon, from the 
writings and prophecies of Zenos alone. Take, as a 
single instance, his inspired parable of the wild and 
tame olive trees, given in the Book of Jacob; no more 
important, no more sublime prophecy can be found in 
the whole contents of the holy scriptures. 

The connection of Lehi with Egypt, whose lan- 
guage he appears to have adopted, doubtless gave him 
a practical knowledge of the condition of the whole 
civilized world in his day, when the glories of Chaldea 
had departed, and those of Assyria and Egypt were 
passing away; when Babylon was at the zenith of 
its power, and the growing strength of Persia and 
Greece was as yet scarcely felt. To this personal 
information he, like Moses, added an acquaintance 
with the learning of the Egyptians, a people wise 
above all other uninspired races in the numerous 
branches of science and art in which they excelled. 
With this knowledge, combined with the information 
of immeasurable value contained on the sacred plates, 
the foundation was laid for a stable civilization, guided 
by past revelation and present inspiration; to which was 
added the experience of other nations, as beacon- 
lights to warn the Nephites of the dangers to which all 
communities are subject, and to guide them to havens 
of governmental and political safety. 

The Nephites, then, from their earliest day had 
at least all the important historical and geographical 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 327 



knowledge possessed by the most favored communities 
of the eastern hemisphere, with as much more as it 
pleased heaven to reveal. They had one advantage 
over the peoples they had left — they were well ac- 
quainted with them and their condition; but of the 
Nephites the dwellers in the old world knew nothing. 
With regard to the knowledge received through revela- 
tion, it is evident, from several incidental expressions 
scattered through the record, that the Lord did give to 
his faithful servants information with regard to histor- 
ical and geographical matters. We will cite one in- 
stance : Jacob, the brother of Nephi, in one of his impres- 
sive exhortations, while encouraging his brethren 
(often somewhat downcast on account of their lonely 
condition, so far from the rest of mankind) , remarks : 
We have been led to a better land, for the Lord has 
made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the 
sea. But great are the promises of the Lord unto they 
who are upon the isles of the sea; therefore, as it says 
isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are 
inhabited also by our brethren. 

How could Jacob have known, except by revela- 
tion, that the vast continent which the Nephites 
inhabited was entirely surrounded by the waters of 
the great oceans ? He and his companions had, but a 
few short years before, first landed on its shores, and 
had now explored but a very small portion of its 
wide extent, and there were no others in communica- 
tion with them who could supply the information that 
North and South America were one immense island. 
Evidently the Lord had revealed this fadl to them. 
And, by the way, this simple statement is strong testi- 
mony of the divine authenticity of the Book of 



328 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Mormon. At the time that this portion of the sacred 
plates was translated (A. D. 1827-8), or even when the 
whole book was published and the Church of Jesus 
Christ was organized, (A. D. 1830), it was not known 
to modern science that the American continent was 
indeed an island. Joseph Smith could not have received 
knowledge of this fact, so unhesitatingly affirmed, 
from any learned geographer or practical navigator. 
The hope of centuries, in Europe, had been to discover 
a northwest passage to India, but to that date all 
attempts had met with disastrous failure, so far as the 
chief object: was concerned. Little or nothing was 
then known of the North American coast, west of 
Hudson's Bay. It was not until after repeated expedi- 
tions, that in May, 1847, the truth of the statement of 
Jacob could be afhrmed, from actual knowledge of the 
geographical features of the country, as at that date 
the explorations and surveys by land and sea, from 
east and west, were brought sufficiently near to leave 
the matter without a doubt. It was not until 
1854 that the first ship's crew (that of Captain 
McClure), which ever sailed across the Arctic Ocean 
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, along the northern 
coast of America, returned from their perilous voyage. 
We thus find that human geographical knowledge 
could not have aided the prophet Joseph Smith in 
making this statement, had it originated with him and 
not with the son of Lehi. 

While ancient Greek and other philosophers were 
groping among the fallacies of the absurd system of 
astronomy given to the world by Ptolemy, and teach- 
ing that the sun with all the stars revolved around the 
earth, the Nephites were in possession of the true 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 329 



knowledge with regard to the heavenly bodies, etc. 
Possibly they were the only people of their age blessed 
with a comprehension of these sublime truths. It is 
altogether probable that among their scriptures were 
copies of the Book of Abraham, from which they could 
acquaint themselves with the beauties and harmonies 
of celestial mechanism. They undoubtedly had the 
writings of Joseph the son of Jacob, as these are 
quoted in the Book of Mormon; and, as the prophet 
Joseph Smith found the writings of Abraham and 
Joseph together in the Egyptian mummies, it is far 
from improbable that the Nephites, as well as the early 
Egyptians, possessed both. To show the astronomical 
knowledge possessed by the Nephites, we will draw 
attention to the words of two of their prophets. The 
first extract is from the reply of Alma to Korihor, 
the Anti-Christ (B. C. 75), when the latter asked for a 
sign to prove the existence of a God. His words are: 
Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? 
Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the 
testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the 
holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, 
yea, and all things denote there is a God ; yea, even the 
earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, 
and its motion; yea, and also all the planets which 
move in their regular form, doth witness that there is a 
Supreme Creator. The next quotation is from the 
reflections of one of the servants of God (probably 
Mormon) inserted into the Nephite history of about sev- 
enty years later. The writer is speaking of the great- 
ness and goodness of God, and among other things 
declares: Yea, by the power of his voice doth the 
whole earth shake; yea, by the power of his voice doth 



33o 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the foundations rock, even to the very center; yea, and 
if he say unto the earth, move, it is moved; yea, if 
he say unto the earth, thou shalt go back, that it 
lengthen out the day for many hours, it is done ; and 
thus according to his word, the earth goeth back, and 
it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still ; yea, 
and behold, this is so; for sure it is the earth that 
moveth, and not the sun. Thus we find that in these 
points, the astronomical knowledge of the Nephites 
was, at least, equal to that of the moderns. 



THE ART OF WAR AMONG THE NEPHITES— THEIR WEAPONS, 
ARMOR AND FORTIFICATIONS — MORONI'S LINE OF DE- 



O sooner had the separation taken place between 



the families of Nephi and Laman, and the founda- 
tion been laid for the two nations that for a thousand 
years contested for the supremancy on this continent, 
than Nephi, to protect his people from the threatened 
attacks of the Lamanites, found it necessary to prepare 
for war. He took the sword of Laban, and, using it 
as a pattern, fashioned many others, which he distrib- 
uted among his subjects as a means of defense. These 
sw ords, with cimeters, spears, javelins, darts, bows and 
arrows, slings and stones, appear to have been the 
principal weapons of war used by the Nephites 
throughout their entire national existence, though 



CHAPTER LX. 



FENSE. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 33 1 

reference is more than once made to nnnamed and 
undescribed weapons. We have no reason to imagine 
from any of the descriptions of their battles that gun- 
powder or any like composition was known to them. 
It is more probable that the unnamed weapons were 
something of the same kind as the ancient ballista and 
catapult, (machines made by the ancients for throwing 
stones, arrows, etc.,) and used for the same purposes. 
From the abundance of metallic ore in the regions 
most densely populated by the Nephites, and the oft- 
mentioned skill possessed by their artisans in the work- 
ing of iron, steel, brass and copper, we have no reason 
for supposing that less satisfactory substitutes were 
brought into use in the manufacture of their weapons. 
There was no necessity for using bone, flint, etc., when 
metal was so abundant and its preparation so well 
understood. 

The accounts we have of the early wars between 
the two races are but mere notices of the fact of their 
occurrence and results. It is not until the days of the 
Judges that anything like details are given. At that 
time the Nephites had adopted the use of defensive 
plate armor for their heads, bodies and thighs; they 
also carried shields and wore arm plates. These arts 
for the protection of the soldiers were carried to their 
greatest excellence under Moroni, during the first half 
of the last century before Christ. This officer, one of 
the greatest, if not actually the greatest, generals the 
Nephite race ever gave birth to, appears to have made 
a great revolution in their military affairs. He re-or- 
ganized their armies, compelled more stringent disci- 
pline, introduced new tactics, developed a greatly 
superior system of fortification, built towers and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



citadels, and altogether placed the defensive powers of 
the commonwealth on a new and stronger footing. 
The Lainanites, who appear to have developed no 
capacity for originating, bnt were apt in copying, also, 
in course of time, adopted defensive armor, and when 
thev captured a weak Nephite city they frequently 
made it a stronghold by surrounding it with ditches 
and walls after the system introduced and put into 
execution by Moroni. 

The foundation of Moroni's system of fortification 
was earthworks encircling the place to be defended. 
The earth was dug from the outside, by which means 
a ditch was formed. Sometimes walls of stone were 
erected. On the top of the earthworks strong defenses 
of wood, sometimes breastworks, in some cases to the 
full height of a man, were raised; and above these a 
stockade of strong pickets was built, to arrest the 
flight of the stones and arrows of the attacking forces. 
Those arrows, etc.. that passed above the pickets fell, 
without doing injury, behind the troops who were de- 
fending the wall. Besides these walls, towers were 
raised at various convenient points, from which obser- 
vations of the movements of the enemy were taken, 
and wherein corps of archers and slingers were sta- 
tioned during the actual continuance of the battle. 
From their elevated and commanding position these 
bodies of soldiers could do great injury to the attack- 
ing force. 

To make this subject yet plainer we insert a few 
extracts, from the Book of Mormon, that have a bearing 
thereon. 

In the year B. C. 73 a severe war was being waged, 
in which Moroni had command of the Nephite armies 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON 



333 



and Amalickiah of those of their foes. It is writ- 
ten that at this time Moroni erected small forts, or 
places of resort; throwing up banks of earth ronnd 
abont, to enclose his armies, and also building walls of 
stone to encircle them about, round about their cities 
and the borders of their lands ; yea, all around about 
the land; and in their weakest fortifications he did 
place the greater number of men ; and thus he did for- 
tify and strengthen the land which was possessed by 
the Nephites. 

The year following Moroni caused his soldiers to 
dig up heaps of earth round about all the cities, 
throughout all the land which was possessed by the 
Nephites ; and upon the top of these ridges of earth he 
caused that there should be timbers; yea, works of 
timbers built up to the height of a man, round about 
the cities. And he caused that upon these works of 
timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon 
the timbers round about; and the}- were strong and 
high; and he caused towers to be erected that over- 
looked those works of pickets, and he caused places of 
security to be built upon those towers, that the stones 
and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them. 
And they were prepared, that the}' could cast stones 
from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and 
their strength, and slay him who should attempt to 
approach near the walls of the city. Thus Moroni did 
prepare strongholds against the coming of their ene- 
mies, round about every city in all the land. 

Again, in the same war, the Lamanite prisoners 
were set to work digging a ditch round about the 
land, or the city Bountiful; and Moroni caused that 
they should build a breastwork of timbers upon the 



334 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



inner bank of the ditch ; and the}' cast np dirt out of 
the ditch against the breastwork of timbers ; and thus 
they did cause the Lamanites to labor until the}^ had 
encircled the city of Bountiful round about with a 
strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding 
hight. And this city became an exceeding strong 
hold ever after. 

The forces of both races appear to have been com- 
posed very largely, if not entirely, of infantry. We 
have failed to notice any passages that give a definite 
assurance that either cavalry or war chariots were used 
in their campaigns. 

Like nearly all rude or semi-civilized races, the 
Lamanites depended on the strength of numbers and 
brute force for victory in the open field. They massed 
their troops in solid bodies, and with wild cries rushed 
to the assault in the hope of bearing down all resist- 
ance by their superior numbers, as in almost even- war 
they greatly outnumbered the Nephites. Indeed it is 
doubtful if even the last-named people used much 
scientific strategy previous to the days of Moroni; 
before this time it was a hand-to-hand conflict, wherein 
the Nephites, though fewer in numbers, had many 
advantages over their half-naked foes, by reason of 
superior weapons and defensive armor, and, above all, 
through the blessing and guidance of the Lord. 

In the 3?ear B. C. 72 the armies of Moroni drove 
the Lamanites out of that portion of the east wilder- 
ness bordering on the land of Zarahemla into their own 
lands. The northern line or boundary of the latter 
ran in a strait course from the sea east to the west. 
The Lamanites having been driven out of those por- 
tions of the wilderness north of the dividing line, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 335 



colonies of Nephites were sent to occupy trie country 
and build cities on their southern border, even to the 
Atlantic coast. To protect the new settlers, Moroni 
placed troops all along this line and caused thereto 
erect fortifications for the better defense of the frontier. 
This fortified line ran from the west sea (the Pacific 
Ocean) by the head of the river Sidon (the Magdalen a) 
eastward along the northern edge of the wilderness. 

Some of the readers of the Book of Mormon have 
imagined this line of defense to have been one contin- 
uous rampart or wall — after the style of the great wall 
of China — reaching from ocean to ocean, and on this 
surmise have argued that the completion of such an 
immense work in a few years was an impossibility to a 
people of the limited numerical strength of the Ne- 
phites. To get over this difficulty of their own creation 
they have resorted to various theories with regard to its 
locality, inconsistent with the geographical details, on 
purpose to shorten its distance to what they deemed a 
reasonable length, possible for the Nephites to have 
built in a few years. The writer holds the opinion that 
the Book of Mormon conveys no such idea; it simply 
states that Moroni erected fortifications along this line ; 
or, as he views it, Moroni took advantage of the natural 
features of the country, its wide rivers, far-stretching 
swamps and ranges of high mountains, and built forti- 
fications at every point where the Lamanites could find 
ingress, such as at the fords of the rivers and the passes 
between the mountains. He there stationed bodies of 
troops sufficiently strong to hold their posts, and, if 
necessary, defend the surrounding country. This sys- 
tem of defense would be more powerful and effective 
than an artificial wall; high mountains and deep rivers 



336 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



largely taking the place of earthworks, masonry and 
heavy timbers. 

A number of } 7 ears later (B. C. 34), the Lamanites 
having temporarily driven the Nephites from the 
southern continent, Moronihah, the son of Moroni, 
fortified the Isthmus of Panama from sea to sea, and in 
this way prevented the Lamanites from pushing yet 
further north. This defensive line was again fortified 
by Mormon (A. D. 360) in the last great series of wars 
between the two races. 

It does not appear, so far as can be gathered from 
the record, that any very great improvements, either in 
the system of fortification, the st} T le of defensive armor, 
or the manufacture of their weapons, were made by the 
Nephite commanders who lived after the days of 
Moroni. 

There is another kind of defensive clothing, 
beside plate armor, mentioned as being worn by the 
ancient American warriors. It consisted of very thick 
clothing, possibly made of cotton or woolen cloth, 
thickty padded. Moroni uniformed some of his troops 
in this manner when he first took command of the 
Nephite armies (B. C. 74), and the next }^ear the 
Lamanites followed his example and not only prepared 
themselves with shields and breastplates, but also with 
garments of skins ; yea, very thick garments to cover 
their nakedness. 

The various enemies that the Nephite armies had 
to meet, from time to time, on the field of battle — 
Lamanites, Amulonites, Amalekites, Zoramites, Gadi- 
anton robbers, etc. — were very differently equipped for 
their bloody work. Those who had dissented from the 
Nephites naturally held to the same tactics, used the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



337 



arms and protected their bodies with the same armor 
as the people to whom they had turned traitors. With 
the original Lamanites it was different. At first, when 
they came against the Nephites they were clothed with 
a short skin girdle about the loins, and with their heads 
shaven ; and their skill was in the bow and the cimeter 
and axe. The dissenters, while armed and equipped 
like the Nephites, set a mark upon themselves by 
which they might be known and distinguished on the 
battle field. In doing this they unconsciously fulfilled 
the word of the Lord to their fathers. Thus, the fol- 
lowers of Amlici, the would-be king, marked them- 
selves with red in their forehead's after the manner of 
the Ivamanites, though they did not shave their heads 
as did the direct descendants of Laman (B. C. 87). 

The description of the Gadianton robbers, as they 
appeared when prepared for war (A. C. 18), is a very 
terrible one : They were girded about after the manner 
of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, 
and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were 
shorn, and they had head-plates upon them: and great 
and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Gid- 
dianhi, because of their armor, and because of their 
being dyed in blood. 



CHAPTER LXI. 



THE LAWS OF THE NEPHITES— THE ROMAN AND NEPHITE 
CIVILIZATIONS — THE LAWS UNDER THE KINGS — POSI- 
TION OF THE PRIESTHOOD — SLAVERY — CRIMINAL OF- 
FENSES. 

JF THE existence of wise, just and liberal laws, 
administered in righteousness, be the rule by which 
we can judge of the true greatness of a nation and of 
the happiness and prosperity of its citizens, then the 
Nephites were a far happier and more prosperous peo- 
ple than were their contemporaries on the eastern con- 
tinent. If this be not so, then we have not read history 
aright. 

The Nephite nation was co-existent with the great 
Roman power that for so long triumphed over and 
crushed the surrounding people in Europe, Asia and 
Africa. True, Rome was founded more than a century 
before Lehi left Jerusalem,* but at the time of his 
exodus its growing power had scarcely begun to be felt 
outside of Italy. At the time that Moroni's record 
closed, the Nephites, as a nation, had become extinct, 
and the glory of the mistress of the world was rapidly 
fading away. Rome had been sacked by barbarians, 
the empire had been divided into two goverments, the 
legs of Nebuchadnezzar's great image were forming; 
people and nations were rebelling and throwing off the 
iron yoke, and the idea of universal empire had become 
a thing of the past.f But how different the theory 

*The generally accepted date for the foundation of Rome is 753 B. C. 

|The eastern and western empires were divided A. D. 395. Alaric, 
the Goth, sacked Rome A. D. 410. Britain broke away from the empire A. 
I). (.18. Gaul, Spain and Africa were soon afterwards lost. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 339 

and genius of the two nations! The Nephite rulers 
governed by the power of just laws, the Romans by 
the might of the unsheathed sword. Among the 
former, every man was a free man, with his rights 
as a citizen guaranteed and protected by just laws. 
Among the latter, few could assert, as did the Apostle 
Paul, Civis Romanus Sum — I am a Roman citizen. 
The vast majority of the millions who formed its peo- 
ple were either abject allies, vanquished enemies or 
degraded slaves.J Neither of these had many rights 
that the Roman citizen felt himself called upon to 
respect. We are apt to be awed by the grand mili- 
tary exploits of the Roman generals, and to be dazzled 
with the magnificence of Rome in art and architecture, 
but we must recollect that the history of that city is 
the history of tyranny. Its power, during the greater 
portion of its continuance, was in the hands of the few, 
who used it for the interest of their class. The masses 
of the population were the subjects of oppression and 
violence. 

No language could so well describe the spirit of 
Roman aggrandizement as that used by the prophet 
Daniel when interpreting to the Babylonish king the 
import of the terrible image he had seen in his dream. 
These are his words : And the fourth kingdom shall be 
strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces 
and subdueth all things : and as iron that breaketh all 
these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. (Daniel ii. 
40.) And thus did Rome rule the eastern world as with 
a rod of iron. We need not refer to the other nations 
that existed on the eastern continent, for the people 



Jin Sicily alone, goaded by ill treatment, the slaves rebelled. Their 
army numbered 200,000 (B. C. 134-132). 



340 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. ' 

that Rome neither conquered nor destroyed were bar- 
barians, who, during the existence of the Nephites, 
filled but a small page in the world's history. 

These facts are presented as worthy of the consid- 
eration of all who study the social and political con- 
dition of the great and highly-favored people who 
flourished on this continent for so many centuries ; and 
we imagine the student cannot fail to be impressed 
with the thought that they were at least a thousand 
years in advance of their fellow men in the science of 
true government; and in their polity find a type of 
the most advanced and most liberal forms of govern- 
ment of the present age. That this should be so, will 
not surprise us when we consider that they were a 
branch of the house of Israel, a people who enjoyed 
more political liberty (until their own follies had cut 
them off therefrom) than any of the other nations of 
antiquity, and that to the law of Moses they had added 
the divine teachings of the everlasting gospel, which in 
themselves are. a perfect law of liberty. Further, it is 
a noteworthy fact which stares us in the face from the 
beginning to the end of the Book of Mormon, that 
when the people departed from gospel principles, it 
was then and then only that they fell into bondage, of 
whatever nature that bondage might be. 

The political history of the Nephites may be con- 
sistently divided into five epochs : 

First. — When they were governed by kings. 

Second. — The. republic, when they were ruled by 
judges and governors. 

Third. — A short period of anarchy when they 
were divided into numerous independent tribes. 

Fourth. — The Messianic dispensation, when they 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



341 



were controlled entirely by the higher law of the holy 
priesthood. 

Fifth. — The chaotic state of internecine war which 
preceded their final extinction as a nation and as a race. 

The first portion of the history of the Nephites 
when they were governed by kings, covers almost 
exactly one half of their national existence, or from 
the time of the landing of the colony on the coast of 
Chili to 509 years after the departure of Lehi from 
Jerusalem. Of the laws by which the people were gov- 
erned during this period, which, however, we are told 
were exceedingly strict, we have few details, for the rea- 
son that the plates from which the greater portion of 
the Book of Mormon which relates to this period was 
taken contain the records of their prophets rather than 
the annals of their kings. With regard to these kings 
they of whose lives we have any particulars, viz: 
Nephi, the first king, and Mosiah I., Benjamin and 
Mosiah II., the three last, were eminently virtuous, 
just and merciful men, who reigned as all monarchs 
should, but few do — with an eye single to the good of 
their subjects. Of their kings in general the prophet 
Jarom, about 400 y ears before Christ, remarks: Our 
kings and our leaders were niighty men in the faith of 
the Lord : and they taught the people the ways of the 
Lord. Indeed, we recollect no intimation, in any place in 
the sacred record, of tyranny on the part of those who 
reigned over the main body of the nation. The gov- 
ernment may, we think, be justly considered to approx- 
imate nearest to a limited monarchy, in which, as in 
ancient Israel, the prophet often exercised more power 
than the king. Though this is true of the central 
government, it unfortunately cannot be so stated of the 



342 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



colony which returned to the land of Nephi in the days 
of King Benjamin; that people suffered beyond des- 
cription from the tyranny and wickedness, and the con- 
sequences resulting therefrom, of their second king, 
Noah, the murderer of the servants of the true and 
living God. 

Of the life and character of the first king of the 
Nephites, the father of his people, Nephi, the son of 
Lehi, we need say nothing here. History affords no 
better model of the true prince. So thought his peo- 
ple, and the}*-, to retain in remembrance his name, and 
to perpetuate the recollection of his virtues, called his 
successors, second Nephi, third Nephi, etc., no matter 
what their original name might have been. 

The right of choosing his successor appears to 
have been vested in the reigning sovereign. When 
Nephi became old, and saw that he must soon die, he 
anointed a man to be a king and a ruler over his peo- 
ple. King Benjamin chose his son Mosiah to reign in 
his stead, and then gathered the people to receive his 
last charge and ratify his selection. Mosiah gave the 
people yet greater liberty, and instead of nominating 
his successor directed them to make their own choice. 
The people highly appreciated this act of grace on the 
part of their beloved king, and selected Aaron his son. 
Aaron, whose heart was set upon the salvation of the 
Lamanites, declined the kingly authority, when Mosiah 
very wisely advised his subjects not to select another to 
nil the throne, lest it give rise, in the future, to blood- 
shed and contention, but to elect judges to be their 
rulers, instead of kings, which proposition they ac- 
cepted with great joy. 

With regard to the Nephite laws in the days of 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 343 

the kings, and the manner of their execution, we can 
learn most from the parting addresses of kings Benja- 
min and Mosiah II. to their subjects. We are fre- 
quently told by the sacred writers, from Nephi, the 
founder, to Nephi, the disciple, that the people observed 
the law of Moses, modified, we judge, in some of its 
details to suit the altered circumstances of the Nephites 
from those of their brethren in the land of Palestine. 
As an instance we draw attention to the fact that, as 
there were none of the tribe of Levi in the colony that 
accompained Lehi from Judea, the priestly office must 
necessarily have been filled and the required sacrifices 
and burnt offerings offered by some of the members 
of the tribes who were with them. Nephi (doubtless 
by the direction of the Lord) appointed his brothers 
Jacob and Joseph to be the priests for the people, they 
being of the tribe of Manasseh, and the care of the 
sacred records remained with the descendants of the 
first named for several generations. The members of 
the various orders of the priesthood, when not actually 
engaged in the work of the ministry, in the duties of 
the temple, or the service of the sanctuary, were required 
to labor for their own support, that they might not 
prove burdensome to the people. A merciful provision 
was, however, made for the 'sustenance of members of 
the priesthood in cases of sickness or when in much 
want. 

Though the laws were strict, they were mercifully 
and equitably administered, which gave much greater 
stability to the government and respect for the law than 
if they had been adjudged loosely, and with partiality 
towards classes or persons. It has been wisely observed 
that it is not the severity of the law but the sureness 



344 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of the punishment that deters the evil doer, and in this 
respect the Nephite nation had cause for thankfulness. 
All men were alike before the law, there were no privi- 
leged classes as in Rome, or in feudal Europe in later 
3-ears. Mosiah says, Whosoever has committed iniquity, 
him have I punished according to the law which has 
been given to us by our fathers. 

From the charge of king Benjamin to his son 
Mosiah we learn that slavey was forbidden. All the 
inhabitants of the continent being of the house of 
Israel, they could not observe the law of Moses and 
enslave their brethren. 

Murder, robbery, theft, adultery and other sexual 
abominations were punished by law, as also was tying 
or bearing false witness. 

Mormon states that in king Benjamin's days the 
false Christs, etc. , were punished according to their 
crimes; but we are not informed if those .crimes con- 
sisted in false personation, etc., or in fomenting, aiding 
and abetting treason and rebellion, as was almost uni- 
versally the habit of those who apostatized from the 
gospel and sought to establish false religions in its 
place. King Benjamin also states that he had not per- 
mitted the people to be confined in dungeons ; but we 
are uncertain whether to infer from this remark that 
the king intended his hearers to understand that he had 
not done this, as so many tyrants do, without cause and 
without trial, or that some other more effectual means 
had been found of punishing those transgressors not 
deemed worthy of death. We incline to the former 
opinion. 

When the Nephite kingdom was first established 
the people were so few that they could not possibly 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 345 

sustain the expenses incidental to royalty. Thus it 
became the rule for the kings to sustain themselves. 
This unique, though most excellent custom continued 
as long as the monarchy lasted, even when the nation 
had grown rich and numerous. King Benjamin 
reminds his subjects that he had labored with his own 
hands that they might not be laden with taxes. Of 
Mosiah, his successor, it is written that he had not 
exacted riches of the people and that he had granted 
unto his people that they should be delivered from all 
manner of bondage. 

We must not forget that, in connection with the 
civil law, the law of the gospel was almost unceasingly 
proclaimed during the whole period of the monarchy. 
Various false Christs and false prophets had arisen at 
different times, but the power of the priesthood had 
remained, ministering in holy things, rebuking iniquity 
and aiding in the suppression of vice. The kings of 
the Nephites, as we before observed, were, as a rule, 
men of God, holding the priesthood, and were often 
prophets and seers as well as temporal rulers. To this 
happy circumstance we must attribute greatly the 
peace and good order that so generally prevailed; the 
respect for the law that was so widespread ; the large 
amount of liberty accorded to the people and the few 
abuses they made of that freedom. To use the idea of 
the prophet Joseph Smith, for long years, they were 
taught correct principles, and they (to a great extent) 
governed themselves. 

In the course of the centuries, as the people 
increased and spread far and wide over the land, they 
appear to have introduced local customs to suit their 
differing circumstances, or in some cases their whims 



346 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and notions. Thus, until king Mosiah II. established 
uniformity by law, nearly every generation and each 
section of the count ry had its own moneys, weights, 
measures, etc., which were altered from time to time 
according to the minds and circumstances of the people. 
This custom naturally caused confusion, annoyance 
and distrust, and to obviate these, and possibty greater 
evils, Mosiah consented to newly arrange the affairs of 
the people; and, if we may so express it, to codify the 
law. This code became the constitution of the nation 
under the rule of the Judges, which limited the powers 
of the officials and guaranteed the rights of the people. 
This compilation was acknowledged by the people, 
whereupon the historian remarks, Therefore they were 
obliged to abide by the laws which he had made. And 
from that time they became supreme throughout the 
nation. It is stated in another place that this change 
was made by the direct command of Jehovah. 



CHAPTER LXII. 



THE LAWS UNDER THE JUDGES— THE VOICE OF THE PEO- 
PLE — ELECTIONS — RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE — CHURCH 
AND STATE— THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. 

NEXT enter into the consideration of the law 
as it existed under the Judges, gathering our 
information from various passages in which it is 
directly referred to, or wherein some historical incident 
is narrated which throws light on its powers and man- 
ner of execution. 

From the death of king Mosiah II. (B. C. 91), the 
governmental authority was vested in a chief judge 
and other subordinate judges and officers, all of whom 
were elected by the voice of the people, to judge accord- 
ing to the laws which had been given to and accepted 
by the people. Their authority was defined by the law 
(the code of Mosiah), but within the bounds therein 
prescribed they appear to have held unrestricted pow- 
ers. This was especially so in the case of the chief 
judge. No civil council or parliament divided with 
the chief executive the authority to make war or con- 
clude peace, to decide the terms of treaties, or frame 
enactments for the regulation of public affairs. No 
direct statement is made of the length of the term that 
a judge remained in office, but from the historical nar- 
rative we gather the idea that he was elected for life 
or during good conduct. We have instances of judges 
resigning, but non*e of their removal by the people 
because their term of office had expired. Each city 
or land appears to have had its chief judge or ruler as 
well as its inferior magistrates, all of whom were 



34S 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



responsible to the chief judge of the whole nation, 
whose seat of goverment was located in the Nephite 
capital, Zarahemla, when the city was not in the hands 
of Lamanites or traitors. 

The manner of condncting elections is not clearly 
defined. The result is always spoken of as the voice of 
the people. The mode of procedure was uniform, that 
is, it was the same throughout the land. In the elec- 
tion of the first chief judge (Alma the younger), the 
people assembled themselves in bodies throughout all 
the land to cast in their voices, which conveys the 
impression that they declared their choice viva voce J or 
by acclamation rather than by lot or ballot. It is quite 
possible that the methods were entirely dissimilar to 
any known at modern elections; this, however, is but 
conjecture. 

When the sentiments of the people were greatly 
divided and party feelings ran very high, the opposing 
factions assembled in separate bodies throughout the 
land to cast in their voices, as in the attempt to make 
Amlici king. The decisions of the people in these 
assemblies or mass meetings were laid before the 
judges, who proclaimed the result. In cases where the 
petition was made for any particular object, or for a 
change in the law, the judge directed that a special 
election (if we may so term it) be held, and the results 
were proclaimed according to the voice of the people, as 
a whole, or if they were divided, according to the voice 
of the majority. 

Under the code of Mosiah, the judges received 
wages according to the time which they labored to judge 
those who were brought before them to be judged; 
and their wages were a senine of gold, or its equiva- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 349 

lent a senum of silver, for each day that they were 
thus employed. As the Nephites had changed the 
names and values of their coins from the old Hebrew 
standards, we have no direct way of judging from the 
record how liberally these officers were remunerated. 
Lawyers, also, were hired and appointed by the people 
to administer the law at the time of their trials; it is 
presumable these acted in behalf of the republic some- 
what in the capacity of prosecuting attorneys of the 
United States. If trial by jury was in vogue among 
the Nephites, we have not been able to find any refer- 
ence to that method; indeed the evidence is altogether 
in favor of the idea that the judge decided as to the guilt 
or innocence of the accused, and, if adjudged guilty, 
passed sentence on the culprit. The corruption of 
these lawyers and judges early became, in some por- 
tions of the land, a foundation for the destruction of 
the government. 

When the chief judge was elected he took an oath 
of office, and it is presumable that the lesser officers 
did the same. The nature of that oath can be easily 
understood by referring to the case of Pahoran. He 
was appointed chief judge and governor over the peo- 
ple, with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge right- 
eously, and to keep the peace, and the freedom of the 
people, and grant unto them their sacred privileges to 
worship the Lord their God ; yea, to support and main- 
tain the cause of God in all his days, and to bring the 
wicked to justice, according to their crimes. 

The punishment of corruption, or malfeasance in 
office, was specially provided for. King Mosiah ex- 
plains the provisions of the law on this subject in the 
following language: And now if ye have judges and 



35° 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



they do not judge you according to the law which has 
been given, ye can cause that the}' may be judged by 
a higher judge: if your higher judges do not judge 
righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small num- 
ber of your lower judges should be gathered together, 
and they shall judge your higher judges according to 
the voice of the people. These safeguards became 
strong bulwarks for the protection of the rights of the 
individual and the preservation of the liberty of the 
whole people. 

When Alma, the first chief judge, resigned that 
office, so that he might devote all his time and energies 
to the work of saving the souls of men, he nominated 
or suggested his successor; but whether this was sim- 
ply a courtes}^ extended to him by the people on 
account of their great love for his person and respect 
for his judgment, or whether it was a provision of the 
law, is not plain. The passage states that Alma chose 
Xephihah as his successor, and gave him power, accord- 
ing to the voice of the people, to enacl laws, according 
to the laws which had been given, and to put them in 
force according to the wickedness and crimes of the 
people. 

The rights of the people were:* 

PERSONAL LIBERTY: 
It was contrary to the law of Mosiah that there 
should be any slaves among the Nephites. 

EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW: 
No privileged classes. All men to enjoy their 
rights and privileges alike. 



*The people had doubtless other rights which we have failed to notice, 
or that are not mentioned by the writers in the Book of Mormon. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 35 1 

UNIFORMITY OF TAXATION : 

The burden of supporting trie government fell on 
all the citizens, that every man might bear his part. 

THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE: 
Whether the suffrage was confined to men, or 
universal, or limited by any particular restrictions, does 
not plainly appear. 

THE RIGHT OF PETITION: 

As examples of the exercise of this right we intro- 
duce the following: At the time when Pahoran was 
chief judge a part of the people desired that a few 
particular points of the law should be altered. The 
chief judge refused to alter the law, whereupon a por- 
tion of the people petitioned him, and he directed that 
an election be held, or rather that the voice of the 
whole nation be appealed to. This being done, the 
result proved that the majority of the people objected 
to a change. Again, Moroni, the commander-in-chief 
of the Nephite armies, sent a petition to the chief 
judge for power to compel certain dissenters to help 
defend their country against the national enemies, or to 
put them to death. His request being according to the 
voice of the people, the desired power was given to 
him. Here we have instances of the right of petition 
exercised, in one case by a large body of the people, 
and in the other by a single though important individ- 
ual. Both were extraordinary circumstances, and in 
the latter case it appears to have required the all-power- 
ful vox popiili to give validity to the action of the 
executive. 

The statement is frequently made, though in 
slightly different phrases, that the law had no power to 



352 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



punish a man for his belief ; for it was strictly contrary 
to the commands of God that there should be a law 
which should bring men on to unequal grounds. If a 
man believed in God it was his privilege to serve him ; 
if he did not believe in him, there was no law to pun- 
ish him. * * A man was punished only for the 
crimes he had done; therefore all men were on equal 
grounds. Unbelief was handled by the church, not by 
the civil law. The names of those whose hearts were 
hardened were blotted out and they were remembered 
no more among the people of God. During the days 
of the Judges there was no church established by law; 
when the people served God, they elected righteous men 
for their rulers ; when the masses fell into unbelief and 
transgression they chose Gadianton robbers and such 
like to administer their laws. 

If the rights of women, under the law, were any 
different, more or less, than those of men, we have no 
information; in fact, the inspired record is entirely 
silent on this subject. 

The criminal law inflicted the death penalty for 
murder, rebellion and treason ; for robbery, theft, adul- 
tery, sexual abominations, fraud and lying, lesser pun- 
ishments were inflicted. 

The first recorded case of execution for murder 
under the rule of the judges is that of Nehor, for kill- 
ing the aged patriot, Gideon. Another noteworthy 
case is that of Paanchi, the son of Pahoran, of whom 
it is written that he was tried according to the voice of 
the people, and condemned unto death; for he had 
raised up in rebellion, and sought to destroy the liberty 
of the people. 

No high priest, judge or lawyer had power to 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 353 



inflict capital punishment. When a man had been 
tried and condemned to death by the law his condemna- 
tion had to be signed by the governor of the land, 
before the sentence could be carried out. The men- 
tion of governor in this relation, with other passages 
in which the chief judge and governor are spoken of as 
different persons, suggests the idea that as the Nephites 
grew in numbers and spread over distant regions, the 
duties of the chief judge became excessive, and a sepa- 
ration was made between the executive and judicial 
responsibilities^ and divided between two officers. 

The mode of inflicting the death penalty is not 
stated, but we incline to the idea that hanging was 
often resorted to. Military offenders were, as a rule, 
put to death with the sword. Of Nehor it is said that 
he suffered an ignominious death at the top of the hill 
Manti, and that, before his death, he acknowledged 
between heaven and earth that he had taught false 
doctrine. Zemnarihah was hanged upon the top of a 
tree until he was dead, and then the Nephites felled 
the tree to the earth. Many of the martyrs were 
burned to death by unjust judges, or stoned, as was 
Timothy, afterwards one of the Twelve Disciples ; but 
we regard this last act as resulting from the violence of 
a mob, rather than from an} r pretended execution of 
the law. 

The law with regard to debtors seems to have been 
somewhat severe. On this point it is stated, Now if a 
man owed another, and he would not pay that which 
he did owe, he was complained of to the judge; and 
the judge executed authority, and sent forth officers 
that the man should be brought before him; and he 
judged the man according to the law and the evidences 



354 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 




which, were brought against him, and thus the man 
was compelled to pay that which he owed, or be stripped, 
or be cast out from among the people as a thief 
and a robber. If a man desired to pay, but could not 
from misfortune, we doubt not but that the law con- 
tained some merciful provision in his behalf. 

It is more than probable that the mode of proced- 
ure in all criminal cases very much resembled the one 
cited above, and from it we can gather a very clear 
idea of the practice of their courts, which differs but 
little from that of our own day. The complaint was 
first made, the proper officer was then authorized by 
the court to arrest the accused and bring him before 
the judge, the trial next took place, the witnesses gave 
their testimony, the law and the evidence were exam- 
ined, the opposing lawyers were heard, the judgment 
was given, the sentence pronounced and lastly carried 
out. In times of war the military code seems to have 
varied according to the exigences of the situation. As 
a rule, the Nephite armies were composed of volunteers. 
In times of great danger to the republic, enlarged 
powers were given to the commander-in-chief. In one 
place we find the statement that Moroni, having been 
appointed by the chief judge and the voice of the peo- 
ple, had power according to his will with the armies of 
the Nephites, to establish and to exercise authority 
over them ; also, he caused to be put to death those of 
the Amalickiahites (rebels) who would not enter into 
a covenant to support the cause of freedom and the 
rights of their fellow-countrymen. 

Prisoners of war were evidently treated much the 
same as in modern civilized nations. Indeed, in one 
place, the fact that the necessities of his position com- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



355 



pelled Moroni to set his Lamanite prisoners to work, is 
referred to in somewhat of an apologetic tone. When 
such prisoners attempted to escape, the}' were slain by 
their guards. We have numerous instances where 
prisoners were released on parole, or on their giving 
such promises as were thought necessary to the Nephite 
general. 

It frequently happened, during the days of the 
Judges, that the Nephites, in some of their periodical 
spasms of apostasy and wickedness, would clamor for 
changes to be made in their just and wise laws, in a 
manner to better suit their degraded habits and course 
of life. When the majority of the people were on the 
side of righteousness, these attempts were in vain. 
When wickedness abounded, the corrupt majority car- 
ried their points. The record of their history shows 
that in the sixty-second year of the Judges (B. C. 30) 
they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws 
of Mosiah, or that which the Lord had commanded him 
to give unto the people ; and that their laws had become 
corrupted, and they had grown wicked like unto the 
Lamanites. Seven years later the corruption of the 
people had become pitiable. The Gadianton robbers 
were filling the judgment seats, having usurped the 
power and authority of the land : Laying aside the com- 
mandments of God, and not in the least aright before 
him; doing no justice unto the children of men; con- 
demning the righteous because of their righteousness; 
letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished, 
because of their money; and moreover to be held in 
office at the head of government to rule and do accord- 
ing to their wills, that they might get gain and glory 
of the world; and moreover that they might the more 



35 6 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



easy commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do 
according to their own wills. 

Such a condition of affairs, in the course of time, 
wrought national disintegration, and would have 
brought about that result much sooner than it did, had 
it not been that, influenced by the mighty preaching of 
the inspired servants of God, the Nephites (or portions 
of them) had now and again returned to the service of 
heaven. But such happy periods were short-lived, and 
matters went from bad to worse until thirty years after 
the birth of Christ, when the republican form of gov- 
ernment was entirely broken up, and the people split 
up into numerous tribes, each tribe caring only for 
its own interests, and giving obedience to its own 
particular chief. This state of things continued only 
for about four years, as during the terrible convulsions 
at the time of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the more wicked portion of the people were destroyed. 



CHAPTER LXIII. 

LAWS OF THE NEPHITES CONTINUED— THE DIVISION INTO 
TRIBES— THE MESSIANIC DISPENSATION— THE FINAL 

CONVULSION. 

^^E CAN well understand that the originating or 
primal cause of the destruction of the Nephite 
republic was the corruption of the people, especially of 
those whose duty it was to administer the law. This 
c lass, being greedy for power, formed a secret combina- 
tion (as those of old time) to establish a kingdom; and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 357 



as a means to this end, they had the chief judge 
assassinated, while they selected a man named Jacob 
for their king. These royalists, or kingmen, were not 
as successful in obtaining the sympathy of the major- 
ity of the people as they anticipated ; they therefore 
decided to remove in a body to the northernmost part 
of the land, and there establish the monarchy. This 
design they successfully carried out. Those who re- 
mained at home favored the division of the people into 
tribes, and there being none strong enough to effec- 
tually oppose this suicidal policy, the republic became a 
thing of the past. 

The organization of these tribes was evidently on 
the patriarchal principle; the head, or most influential 
member of a family, gathered his kinsmen around 
him. The historian states: And the people were 
divided one against another, and they did separate one 
from another, into tribes, every man according to his 
family, and his kindred, and friends. 

Each of these tribes chose a chief, leader, or ruler; 
as it is written: And every tribe did appoint a chief, or 
leader over them; and thns they became tribes and 
leaders of tribes. Now behold, there was no man 
among them, save he had much family, and many kin- 
dreds and friends. 

The laws of the various tribes were not uniform, 
but there was a general understanding by which they 
prevented the outbreak of actual war. It is stated that 
in the thirty-first year (after Christ), They had come to 
an agreement that they would not go to war one with 
another; but they were. not united as to their laws, and 
their manner of government, for they were established 
according to the minds of those who were their chiefs 



35S 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and their leaders. But they did establish very strict 
laws that one tribe should not trespass against another, 
insomuch that in some degree the}' had peace in the 
land. 

The destruction of the wicked, the visits of the 
crucified Redeemer, the ministry of his disciples, the 
universal acceptance of the fulness of the gospel by 
the people throughout the length and breadth of the 
land, brings us to a time when there was no need of 
civil law; for all men lived above the law, being con- 
trolled and guided at all times by the higher law of 
heaven. There was no need of courts of law, for there 
were no disputations or contentions. No judges or 
magistrates were required, for there were no offenders 
or offenses. There were neither envyings, nor strifes, 
nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor thefts, nor 
violence, nor murders. For the love of God dwelt in 
the hearts of the people; the}' all dealt justly one with 
another ; temptation was removed ; they had all things 
in common ; they were one, the children of Christ, and 
heirs to the Kingdom of God. 

It has been said, Happy are the people who have 
no history ; and thrice happy were the Nephites of this 
era, whose history was one of continued peace and joy. 
Well may it be written of them, There could not be a 
happier people among all the people who had been 
created by the hand of God. We can scarcely conceive 
of such a people on this fallen world of ours ; an entire 
continent on which dwelt perfect peace; people among 
whom there were no rich, no poor — all were alike; a 
race in whose hearts dwelt the sweet influence of the 
Spirit of God, the wisdom of which illumined every 
mind. How they must have increased; how they must 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



359 



have prospered; how they covered the land with mil- 
lions of hnman souls ; how the arts and sciences must 
have been developed; and how greatly must true and 
heavenly knowledge have been spread abroad! The 
law of Moses was no longer observed, but the holy 
priesthood, after the order of the Son of God, minis- 
tered in might in their midst; the faith of the people 
made angels their frequent visitors ; the purity of each 
life caused the Holy Spirit to be the constant compan- 
ion of every soul. This happy, glorious state of 
holiness continued a full two hundred years, and then 
commenced the decline of the nation; rapid indeed was 
its descent, and great was its fall. 

The first signs of the decrease in the righteousness 
of the people, recorded in the Book of Mormon, were : 
That some became lifted up in pride ; these took to 
wearing costly apparel, jewels, and the fine things of 
the world. The people ceased to have their goods and 
their substance in common. They began to be divided 
into classes ; rich and poor appeared. They commenced 
to deny portions of the gospel, and to build up churches 
to suit their peculiar ideas; others began to deny the true 
Church of Christ. They administered that which was 
sacred (temple ordinances) to the unworthy; and before 
long they devised all manner of wickedness, and com- 
menced to persecute the servants of God, even to death, 
when permitted to do so by the powers that rule in the 
heavens. 

Thus matters went on, growing worse every year, 
until the people were again divided into two nations, 
Nephites and Lamanites, with their old traditions and 
ways; which, as was natural, ultimately culminated 
in war; and such a war! For savageness, brutality, 



360 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



and utter devilishness, we doubt if it was ever equalled 
in this suffering world. But it is not our province in 
this chapter to enter into historical details. The law is 
our subject, and of that we can say little. If it were 
possible to conceive of such a contradiction, we should 
say that the law of anarchy reigned supreme. Might 
made right ; and the more numerous Lamanites ulti- 
mately overcame and annihilated their Nephite breth- 
ren. We can well conceive of the nature of the laws 
during the fierce struggle that preceded this dire calam- 
ity, from the light of this nation's previous history; 
they were no doubt framed, enacted and administered 
for the benefit of the rich and the strong, and to the 
injury of those in whose bosoms burned one lingering 
spark of righteousness. The history of the Nephites, 
from beginning to end, fully justifies the saying of the 
wise man, Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a 
reproach to any people. 



CHAPTER LXIV. 

THE MONEY OF THE NEPHITES— THEIR COINS — BARLEY THE 
STANDARD OF VALUE. 

JN THE early days of the Nephite nation, when its 
people were struggling to develop their own pecu- 
liar and distinctive civilization, each province, district 
or e ven city had its particular standards of weights, 
measures and money. This state of affairs frequently 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 361 

prevails in young communities, and is an evidence 
that the growth of Nephite civilization was much the 
same as in the nations of the eastern hemisphere. As 
the population of a nation increases, its powers of gov- 
ernment consolidating and its commerce developing, 
these various and conflicting standards of exchange 
give rise to much unnecessary confusion, many per- 
plexing difficulties and frequent misunderstandings 
and complications, which hamper trade and commerce, 
retard material progress, and delay the unification of 
the nation. It thus becomes the work of the far-see- 
ing statesman or wise ruler to bring all these various 
local rates to one national standard, recognized as legal 
and equitable in all parts of the realm. 

This work the second Mosiah accomplished for the 
Nephites. When he revised and codified the national 
law for the goverment of the people under the Judges, 
he abolished the local distinctive rates and introduced 
one universal standard. Of the ratios of the various 
weights and measures, either before or after the enact- 
ment of Mosiah's wise law, we are told nothing in the 
Book of Mormon ; it is simply stated that the Nephites 
had not adhered to the standards in use among the 
Jews in Judea, but had altered their reckoning and. 
their measures, very frequently as caprice, convenience, 
or local exclusiveness inspired. As to the ratios of 
the coins legalized by Mosiah's code they are highly 
artistic, evince a large acquaintance with monetary mat- 
ters and point to a high degree of civilization as then 
existing among the Nephites. 

The following is the table of these coins as given 
in the Book of Mormon: 



362 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



GOLD COINS. SILVER COINS, 

i Senine equal to 1 Senum. 

1 Seon, 2 Senines, 1 Amnor. 

1 Shum, 4 " " 1 Ezrom. 

1 Limnah, 7 " u 1 Onti. 

Of smaller coins — 
1 Shiblon was equal to half a Senine, or Senum. 
1 Shiblum u " a quarter of a Senine or Senum. 
1 Leah " an eighth of a Senine or Senum. 

While an Antion of gold was equal to three Shublons. 

Though not directly so stated, we judge from the 
context that the Shiblon, the Shiblum and the Leah 
were silver coins. 

The names of these coins seem to be identical 
with, or derived from those of familiar persons or 
places. Thus we have a Leah, a Shiblon,* and an 
Amnor, f all names of persons. Also an Antion, which 
word is found in AntionahJ and Antionum,§ a Shib- 
lum which differs from Shiblom§ only in one letter, 
and a Shublon from Shiblon,* and a Limnah from 
Limhah,§ to the same extent. 

This custom of naming coins after well known or 
distinguished persons is a practice not confined to the 
Nephites. Other nations have done the same; as for 
instance, in France a twenty-franc gold piece is called 
a Napoleon. 

One little item that in itself may appear trivial is 
not without its weight in the consideration of the 
minor or incidental evidences of the truth of the Book 

* A son of Alma the younger. 

f A Nephite officer under Alma. 

X A chief ruler in the city of Ammonihah. 

''/. Three Nephite generals killed at Cumorah. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



363 



of Mormon. A measure of barley is especially men- 
tioned as the unit of value on which the monetary sys- 
tem, or the value of the coins of the Nephites was 
based. One senine was worth one measure of barley, 
and its multiples were, of course, multiples of this 
measure of barley, but we have no information as to 
what the contents of this measure may have been.* 

Now the old English unit of measurement was a 
barley-corn, or grain of barley. Three barley-corns 
make one inch, is the way the table commenced. 

Believing, as the Latter-day Saints do, that the 
Nephites were a branch of the house of Israel, and 
also that the races whence the English have most 
largely sprung had much of the blood of Israel in 
their composition, the agreement of these two units 
on the grain so frequently mentioned in the Bible (as 
with the Nephites all grain seems to have been of equal 
price) is not without its value in either argument. 
The fa&, also, that the Nephites made grain the stand- 
ard of value shows how highly agriculture must have 
been esteemed among that people. 

*The payment per day, fixed by law, for a Nephite judge when 
actually engaged in his official duties was one senine, otherwise one mea- 
sure of barley. 



CHAPTER LXV. 



PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF THE NEPHITES — THEIR BEAUTY 
— TESTIMONY OF REMAINS FOUND — THE DARK-SKINNED 
LAMANITES. 

T^VER AND anon throughout the Book of Mormon, 
we are reminded by the inspired historians of the 
beauty of the Nephite race, especialty in the days 
when the glory of righteousness beamed in their eyes, 
and shone in their countenances ; then they were fair, 
very fair — a white and a delightsome people. 

And well might it be so, for were they not de- 
scended from that kindred couple, Abraham and his 
half-sister, whose great beauty has been proverbial in 
every generation, since they graced the earth with their 
comeliness? So lovely was Sarah, the fairest of 
womankind of her generation, that when she was sixty- 
seven years of age, the royal Pharaoh, disregarding the 
charms of the darker daughters of Egypt, desired her 
for his wife ; and his admiration was doubtless in good 
taste, for the Bible tells us that she was then very 
fair. And still more remarkable, when }^et another 
twenty-two years had passed away, and she had seen 
nearly ninet}- summers and winters come and go on this 
earth, another monarch, Abimelech, sought to take her 
to himself. Nor was her husband's manly beauty less 
striking; obedience to God, the observance of the laws 
of life, and the cultivation of the generous virtues so 
ennobled his existence, that strength and manhood 
tarried with him in its force, long after that age when 
the sons of modern generations are feebly tottering to 
their graves. 

Of the commanding beauty of Abraham's descend- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 365 

ants, we have many recorded instances , bnt none that 
exceed that of his great-grandson Joseph, whose sur- 
passing manliness placed him in the greatest jeopardy, 
but whose uncompromising virtue and unaffected 
innocence brought him off conqueror over temptation, 
and raised him to the highest pinnacle of earthly splen- 
dor and heavenly favor. It was from this well-favored 
Joseph that the Nephites sprang. 

God has set the mark of his displeasure on the 
Lamanites, whom he has cursed, because of the iniqui- 
ties of their fathers, with a darkened skin, uncomely 
features, and strait, black, coarse hair. In the begin- 
ning it was not so with either Judah or Manasseh. 

In confirmation of the testimony of the Book of 
Mormon, that the inhabitants of this continent were 
once a white and beautiful people, it may be stated that 
when very ancient burial places in North and South 
America have been opened, the remains of two races — 
one dark and the other fair — have been exhumed. The 
question may arise : How could this be told, when the 
skin had long rotted off the bones, and left only the 
skeleton behind, which fell in powder as soon as it was 
exposed to the action of the air? In this way: The 
dry, gravelly soil in which some of these bodies were 
buried,, had so little affected the mummy, that portions 
of the hair still remained iq good preservation, and in 
numerous instances it was such as is only found on the 
heads of light races. We will cite a few examples 
given by different inquirers in this field of research. 

One writer, speaking of the ancient mummies found 
in Peru, says: The hair in general is of a lightish 
brown, and of a fineness of texture which equals that 
of the Anglo-Saxon race. Again: The ancient Peru- 



366 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



vians appear, from numerous examples of hair found in 
their tombs, to have been an auburn-haired race. 
Another gentleman, a Mr. Haywood, has described 
the discovery, early in the present century, of three 
mummies, in a cave near the Cumberland River, in 
Tennessee ; and the color of their skin was said to be 
fine and white, and their hair auburn and of a fine 
texture. The same investigator mentions several other 
cases where mummies were found in the limestone and 
saltpetre caves of Kentucky and Tennessee, with light 
yellowish hair. One scientist, to account for this pecu- 
liarity, suggests that it is possible that the light color 
was due to the action of the lime and saltpetre ; but this 
suggestion will not affect those buried in other forma- 
tions of rock, nor will it account for the fineness of the 
texture of the hair. Reasoning from other data, other 
writers have concluded that the great cities whose ruins 
still stand in Yucatan and Central America were the 
work of two races, a light and a dark-skinned race 
respectively. 

The reference to the Anglo-Saxon race, above made, 
is not without its value. To us it seems highly proba- 
ble that the righteous Nephites, in very many particu- 
lars of form and feature, resembled this people and its 
kindred races. Our reasons are: first, that there was a 
striking similarity in the, appearance of the ancient 
Israelites and the olden Anglo-Saxons. This likeness 
has been remarked and commented upon by various 
authors. Again, it is well known to the Latter-day 
Saints that there was a large percentage of the blood 
of Ephraim in the stock whence the Angles and 
Saxons sprung. So much admitted, it is easy to under- 
stand how the two half tribes, descended from the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



367 



comely Joseph — the one from Ephraim, and the other 
from Manasseh — wonld bear a strong family likeness. 

Were we introduced to a typical Nephite, we should 
expect to find him well proportioned, ruddy of counte- 
nance, auburn haired and light eyed. This, of course, is 
simply conjecture, and is entitled to consideration only 
as such. 

From reliefs found sculptured on the walls of the 
ruined cities of Central America, it seems probable 
that the ancient Lamanites esteemed flat, receding 
foreheads the highest type of beauty. Most of the 
figures on which the greatest artistic skill is displayed 
appear to represent persons on whom some artificial 
means had been used, in infancy, to flatten the front 
part of the head, as their debased descendants, the 
Flatheads, do in our day. It is a noteworthy fact, that 
other races of Israelitish descent, or who have come in 
close contact with the Hebrews, show this same ten- 
dency. 

Skulls thus flattened have been taken out of tombs 
in the neighborhood of ancient Media, where the 
Israelites were once in captivity ; also from sepulchres 
in Circassia, Scandinavia, Great Britain, etc., and one 
was even exhumed from outside the walls of Jerusalem. 
It is true the Book of Mormon does not refer to this 
custom, but it often speaks of the Lamanites shaving 
their heads, which in all probability may have after- 
wards grown into the still more hideous practice of 
flattening the skull, under the idea that it made them 
courageous. Indeed, it is quite possible that it did 
make them recklessly bloodthirsty, by injuring their 
intellectual powers, and thus tending to develop their 
more savage instincts. 



CHAPTER LXVI. 



LANGUAGE OF THE NEPHITES — THE INFLUENCE OF THE 
EGYPTIAN— NEPHITE WORDS — RAMEUMPTOM — LIAHONA 
— RABBANAH— THE LAMANITE TONGUE — WORD BUILD- 
ING. 

'HpHERE appears to be a slight difference of opinion 



among students of the Book of Mormon with 
regard to the language of the ancient Nephites. We 
will endeavor to give a sketch of both ideas. 

One class of inquirers affirm that it is evident, 
from a careful study of the Book of Mormon, that the 
people of Nephi were greatly influenced by the lan- 
guage and ideas of the Egyptians. That language 
was the language of their every-day life, altered or 
reformed (whether corrupted or improved cannot be 
told) so greatly in the course of time, that in his day 
Moroni informs us no other people knew it. In the 
thousand years that had elapsed between the exodus 
of Lehi from Jerusalem and the abridgement of the 
record, the Nephites had altered the Hebrew also, so 
that neither their sacred nor their common modes of 
speech could be understood by other races. 

At the very opening of the inspired record Nephi 
writes: I was taught somewhat in all the learning of 
my father. A little further on he explains what that 
learning was. He says: I make a record in the lan- 
guage of my father, which consists of the learning 
[literature] of the Jews and the language of the Egyp- 
tians. It is not strange that Lehi should have been 
acquainted with the Egyptian tongue, as from the days 
of king Solomon, for some hundreds of years, it was 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



369 



the polite language of the world, as French was in 
Europe during the eighteenth century. King Mosiah 
in after years confirmed this statement, that Lehi was 
taught in the language of the Egyptians. It would 
be rather unreasonable to suppose that the knowledge 
of that language carried no further influence than to 
enable the Nephites to converse in it. It brought 
them en rapport, so to speak, with those who used it 
in its native home in Africa, evidences of which yet 
exist in the Egyptian types of architecture and hiero- 
glyphics found in the midst of the ruins of the ancient 
cities, scattered far and wide over this western con- 
tinent. This similarity has been noticed again and 
again by explorers and students, but its cause still 
remains to them an unsolved problem.* To the believers 
in the Book of Mormon the myster}^ stands revealed. 

Other students incline to the opinion that when 
the Egyptian language is mentioned it probably only 
means its orthography. They say the Jews seem to 
have understood the Egyptian language or writing. 
For he [Lehi] having been taught in the language of 
the Egyptians, therefore he could read these engravings 
[the brass plates]. Laban and his forefathers must 

*No claim has been advanced, we believe, which advocates an actual 
Egyptian colonization of the New World, but strong arguments have been 
used to show that the architecture and sculpture of Central America and 
Mexico have been influenced from Egypt, if not attributable directly to 
Egyptian artisans. — J. T. Short. 

The hieroglyphics, symbols and emblems which have been discovered 
in the temples bear so strong a resemblance to those of the Egyptians as to 
encourage the supposition that a colony of that nation may have founded 
the city of Palenque or Culhuacan. — Jaurros. 

Giordan found the most striking analogies between the Central Ameri- 
can and Mexican remains and those of the Egyptians. The idols and 
monuments he considers of the same form in both countries, while the 
hieroglyphics of Palenque do not differ from those of ancient Thebes. 



370 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

have understood the Egyptian, and recorded their 
sacred writings, from generation to generation, in that 
language. The words "language of the Egyptians" 
very probably means little more than Egyptian charac- 
ters or an alphabet for spelling Hebrew words. There 
seemed to be two sets of characters — the Egyptian and 
the Hebrew (see Mormon ix., 32 and 33) for spelling; 
but it is doubtful whether the words written were words 
of two distinct languages, or words of one language 
written in the Egyptian and Hebrew characters. 
Which was the fact is not clearly specified. 




ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CHARACTERS. 



We here reproduce two cuts to show our readers 
tli at there is a distinct family likeness between the 
engravings on the plates from which the Book of Mor- 
mon was translated and ancient Egyptian characters. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



37 1 



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STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



One is a copy of the noted passage from the Book of 
Mormon taken by Elder Martin Harris to Professor 
Anthon in New York ; the other a reprodnction of some 
very ancient Egyptian characters engraved on the 
rocks not far distant from Monnt Sinai. 

There are bnt few Nephite words handed down to 
us in the Book of Mormon, as wherever an English 
equivalent could be found, it has been given by the 
Prophet in his inspired translation. Those words are : 

Neas and Sheum — Kinds of grain. 

Ziff—K metal. 

Rameumptom — A holy stand. 

Gaze I em — A name given to a servant of God. 

Liahona — A director or compass. 

Rabbanah — A title, meaning powerful king. 

Also the names of their coins, and proper names 
of persons, places, etc. 

Some would-be-wise folks have seen fit, at different 
times, to amuse themselves at the expense of these 
words, applying to them various contemptuous terms 
and styling them gibberish. But we propose to show 
that these words are derived from the Hebrew and 
Egyptian tongues, neither of which, all men admit, 
were known to the Prophet Joseph Smith at the time 
he published the Book of Mormon (A. D. 1829). Had 
he been worldly wise, he might by his own learning 
have fashioned these words ; but as he was not, when 
we can adduce evidence that they have true Hebrew or 
other ancient roots, we have brought forward another 
strong argument in favor of the inspiration of the 
translation. 

It has been wisely said, It is very evident that 
pure words of either the Hebrew or Egyptian tongues 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 373 

could hardly be expected in the Book of Mormon, for 
the reason that the Nephites had altered the Hebrew, 
and their language was so completely changed, that 
their speech could not be understood by other races. 
But although the structure of their language had thus 
changed, it does not follow that all the words had been 
replaced by others entirely unlike the former language 
spoken and written by them. It is logical to expect 
many remnants of the ancient roots, which, however 
much changed, may retain so much of their original 
types as to be capable of identification. Thus, in the 
word Ziff, which the Prophet Joseph tells us was a 
metal, we find a word of the same sound as the Hebrew 
word ziph or zeph, which means a metal. The metal 
laid over statues was so called. It is true that the word 
ziff is not spelled the same, but in its orthography is 
like the name of the Hebrew month, Ziff. But the 
word ziff means brightness — metallic brightness. (The 
word is used in Daniel ii., 31, also in Isaiah xxx., 22, 
where it means overlaying metal.) 

Rameumptom was the name given by the Zoram- 
ite apostates to the elevated place in their synagogues , 
from whence they offered up their vain-glorious and 
hypocritical prayers. Alma states the word means a 
holy stand. It resembles, in its roots, Hebrew, and 
also Egyptian, in a remarkable manner. Ramoth, 
high (as Ramoth Gilead), elevated, a place where one 
can see and be seen; or, in a figurative sense, sublime 
or exalted. Mptom has probably its root in the 
Hebrew word translated threshold, as we are told that 
the Philistine god, Dagon, had a threshold in Ashdod 
(see I. Samuel, v., 4, 5). Words with this root are 

quite numerous in the Bible. Thus we see how Ram- 

23 



374 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



eumptom means an exalted place to stand upon, a pul- 
pit or holy stand. 

Sheum, a kind of grain, is singularly like the 
Hebrew Shum (garlic), as found in Numbers xi., 5. 

Gazelem appears to have its roots in Gaz — a stone, 
and Aleim, a name of God as a revelator or interposer 
in the affairs of men. If this suggestion be correct, its 
roots admirably agree with its apparent meaning — a 
seer. The text reads : And the Lord said, I will pre- 
pare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall 
shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover 
unto ni} T people who serve me, that I may discover 
unto them the works of their brethren: yea, their 
secret works, their works of darkness, and their wicked- 
ness and abominations. 

Rabbanah is another wonderful word. It is the 
title applied by the servants of King Lamoni to Am- 
nion, the son of Mosiah, after his miraculous exploits 
at the waters of Sebus. It is translated powerful or 
great king. Whether it was a Nephite or Lamanite 
word is uncertain, as the Lamanites of that age (B. C. 
91) had been taught by royal command in. the lan- 
guage of the Nephites. It is, however, of little 
moment to which of these kindred tongues it belonged, 
but its Hebrew derivation is most unmistakable. Its 
origin is evidently in abba, father. Max Muller, the 
great modern authority on such points, says the word 
king originally meant father; having doubtless taken 
this form in the earliest patriarchal days when the king 
ruled by right of his fatherhood, and represented God, 
the Great Father of us all. This ancient American 
word confirms Professor Muller's statement; while it 
manifests how remarkably the unities of the Book of 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 375 



Mormon are preserved, consistent only with, its claim 
to Divine inspiration. It would be the height of folly 
to ascribe such a coincidence to chance; a man must be 
far more credulous to so believe, than it can possibly 
be claimed such are who place implicit confidence in 
the realities of Nephite and Lamanite history. 

From the few examples of words and names 
before us, we judge the Lamanite language to have 
been quite musical. Such names as Rabbanah, La- 
moni, Lehonti, Middoni, Antionum, Onidah, etc., are 
certainly specimens of a soft, flowing, pleasing form of 
speech. 

One practice, that of word building, or adding 
several words together to form a new word, which com- 
bination gave expression to the desired idea, obviously 
obtained among the Lamanites. As examples we have 
the city of Lehi-Nephi, the village of Ani-Anti and the 
people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. Such a practice is frequent 
among many families of their modern representatives. 
It was found to exist among the Mexicans — the Aztecs 
— by the early Spanish invaders, and to day is practised 
by our near neighbors the Shoshones. This habit 
explains the reason for the existence of so many words 
of great length found in both of these tongues. 



CHAPTER LXVII. 



XEPHITE PROPER NAMES— BIBLE NAMES — SARIAH— NEPHI— 
SAM — MEIvEK — GERSHON — ISABEL— AHA, ETC., — PRE- 
FIXES AND SUFFIXES. 

'T^HE number of Bible proper names found in the 



Book of Mormon has been now and again urged 
as an argument against its divine origin. If those 
making these objections were to calmly consider the 
matter, we believe they would quickly acknowledge that 
it would be very inconsistent to expect the opposite. 
Nearly all devout races are in the habit of naming 
their children after the holy men — patriarchs, martyrs 
and sages — whose lives they reverence, and whose 
virtues they desire to see reproduced in their offspring. 
It is so with ourselves; nearly all our most familiar 
names are English forms of Bible names. For exam- 
ple: John, James, Jacob, Joseph and Thomas among 
men, and Mary, Anna, Elizabeth and Sarah among 
women. So it was with the Nephites. The Hebrew 
was the language of their sacred literature; while their 
fondest recollections, their holiest pride ran back to the 
days of Joseph and Joshua, Samuel and Isaiah, and, like 
other races, they named their children after the ancient 
worthies they reverenced most. Hence, we find the fol- 
lowing Bible names borne by the descendants of Lehi* 
and Sariah: Aaron, Aminadab, Amnion, Amman, Amos, 
Benjamin, Enos, Gideon, Gilgal, Helam, Helem, Isaiah, 
Islnnacl, Jacob, Joseph, Jeremiah, Jonas, Laban, Lemuel, 

The name Lehi, itself, is to be found in Judges xv., g. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 377 

Noah, Samuel, Shem, Timothy and Zedekiah. A few 
others are evidently slightly altered Hebrew names, as 
Chemish from Chemosh, Sherem from Shaaraim, and 
Zenos from Zenas. Indeed, there may be no actual dif- 
erence ; the apparent change may arise from the English 
translators inserting a wrong vowel sound in words 
where, according to the ancient custom, the consonants 
only were written. 

We will now consider a few proper names found in 
the Book of Mormon, but not in the Bible; for, not- 
withstanding the changes made by the Nephites in 
their language, the derivation and signification of many 
of these names are evident, when considered in connec- 
tion with the languages of the races with whom the 
ancient Hebrews were brought most closely in contact. 

Sariah is obviously Hebrew. It is a name of 
extreme beauty and force. Its roots are in Sara, a 
princess, and Jah or Iah, Jehovah, thus meaning a 
princess of Jehovah ; a most fitting name for the mother 
of a multitude of nations. 

Nephi is another very remarkable name. Its roots 
are Egyptian ; its meaning, good, excellent, benevolent. 
From very ancient times the Egyptians believed that all 
who died had to have their acts upon earth scrutinized 
by a council of inquisitors, before they could be pro- 
claimed fit to enter the eternal abodes of bliss and stand 
in the presence of the god Osiris, the chief lord of the 
land of the departed. One of the names given to this 
god, expressive of his attributes, was Nephi or Dnephi 
(the D being silent, as in Dniestre, Dnieper, etc.), or 
the good, and the chief city dedicated to him was called 
N-ph, translated into the Hebrew as Noph, in which 
form it appears in Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah. Its 



378 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



modem English, name is Memphis. In the Coptic, the 
language of the modern Egyptians, the word has the 
form of Menu or Mnefi. Plutarch, the ancient histor- 
ian, says that Dnephi was a benevolent person, and an 
epithet for Osiris, and was also applicable to Memphis, 
the sepulchre of that god. The word Neph frequently 
appears in Egyptian proper names before the Christian 
era, as Ainoneph, Amuneph, Me-Nephta. From these 
facts we conclude that Xephi was a common name in 
the Egyptian tongue; and, as far as the founder of the 
Xephite nation was concerned, most applicable to his 
character, which was pre-eminently good and benevo- 
lent. 

The English word, Xephites, that is the people or 
family of Xephi, occurs twice in its Hebrew form in 
the Old Testament; once in Ezra (ii., 50) as Nephisim, 
and again in Nchemiah (vii. 52), as Nephishesim, 
which show that the . name was common among the 
Hebrews of the age of the captivit}\ 

Sam is a name which some shallow-pated oppo- 
nents of the Book of Mormon have been disposed to 
ridicule. But it is pure Egyptian. It was the dis- 
tinctive name of one of the highest orders of their 
priesthood. The great Ramescs himself belonged to 
the order of Sam. The fact that Lehi gave to two of 
his sons such peculiarly Egyptian names shows how 
great an influence the literature of that country must 
have had on his life. 

Mclck is the name o^iven to a region of countrv 
situated west of the river Sidon. No reason is given 
why it was so called, but its meaning is evident. It 
was the king's land. The ancient Phoenician word 
for king is spelled letter for letter the same as in the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



379 



Book of Mormon (Melek), and the Hebrew word is 
almost identical. 

Gerskon, the name applied to the land given by 
the Nephites to the exiled Ammonites, means the land 
of the expelled, or of the strangers. We think it alto- 
gether probable that this significant name was given to 
it at the time it was set off for the habitation of these 
expatriated Christian Lamanites, as it defines their 
condition as exiles, and their relation to the Nephites 
as strangers. The name is not mentioned before this 
event, and wonld possibly be the only local name by 
which it was known to the compiler of the Book of 
Mormon. Before the date of this exodus, it was, we 
think, considered a portion of the land of Zarahemla. 

Isabel is either a form of Jezebel, the chaste, a 
name given in derision to the character who bore it, or 
it has its derivation like Isaiah, which means the delight 
of Jehovah, and thus signifies the delight of Bel, that 
is to say, of her lord, husband or possessor. It may 
have been assumed to suggest the supposed joys of 
her society. It is a remarkable fact that the land 
wherein she dwelt is styled the land of Siron, that is, 
the land of the deserters, or apostates. It was situated 
at the extreme edge of the Nephite possessions, and 
on the borders of the Lamanites, beyond the land of 
Antionum, in which dwelt the Zoramite apostates. 
The experience of the Saints in this age teaches them 
how apt apostates are to draw off to' remote corners, 
where they fancy the reproofs of the priesthood are 
the least likely to be heard. In such a place, far from 
the Nephite capital, outside the reach of the rigors of 
the law of Moses, the enticing Isabel could carry on 
her vile vocation with the greatest safety and impunity. 



380 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Aha, we suggest means laughter. Sarah, the wife 
of Abraham, called her son Isaac — laughter. The 
sound of the word also resembles a laugh, and again it 
is the name for laughter in the language of the modern 
Sioux, as Minne-aha — laughing water. 

Without being able to express a positive opinion, 
but simply as a suggestion, we insert the supposed 
meaning of the following words: 

Nephihah, Jehovah's consolation. 

Amnion, A worker of Jehovah. 

Shazer (or Shazeh), Gladness. 

Nahom, Comfort. 

Zarahemla, From a rising of light, or 

whom he (God) will fill up. 
Laman, White (another form of Laban). 

Manti, Relating to prophets or oracles. 

Many others could be inserted, but might possibly 
prove irksome. 

Before closing this branch of inquiry we will draw 
attention to the ancient Nephite prefixes and suffixes. 
These matters may not be of great interest to the gen- 
eral reader, but to the students of the Book of Mor- 
mon they may prove an incentive to further interesting 
research. 

Among the most numerous prefixes found in Book 
of Mormon proper names, are Am, Anti, Gid and Hel, 
of which the first is by far the most frequent. We find 
Am in Amnion, Amaron, Ammaron, Ammoron, Anio- 
ron, Amulon, Amnor, Ammonihah, Amalickiah, Am- 
nah, Amlici, Aminadi, etc. ; Anti in Antionah, Anti- 
omno, Antipus, Antionum and Anti-Nephi-Lehi. It 
was also used as a suffix, as Ani-Anti. The prefix 
Gid we find in Giddianhi, Gidgiddoni, Giddonah and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 38 1 

Gidgidonah: and Hel in Helem, Helam, Helaman and 
Helorum. 

Not to make this portion of onr investigations 
tedious, we will only give two or three examples of the 
suffixes that appear to have been most in use. 

ah, as Zerahemnah, Giddonah, Cumorah. 

am, as Zoram, Lauram, Seezoram. 

iah, as Amalickiah, Mosiah. 

ihah, as Nephihah, Moronihah, Cumenihah. 

om, as Sidom, Shiblom, Jarom. 

on, as Mormon, Emron, Corianton. 

or, as Amnor, Korihor, Nehor. 

en, as Kumen, Kishkumen. 

um, as Teancum, Helorum, Moriantum. 

us, as Antipus, Archaentus, Lachoneus. 

oni, Moroni, Lamoni, Mathoni. 

di, Aminadi, Abinadi. 

hi, as Nephi, Zenephi, Limhi. 

ti, Lehonti, Manti. 

doni,* as Gidgiddoni, Middoni. 

* We suggest that this is a form of the Hebrew word Adonai — Lord. 



CHAPTER LXVIII. 

THE LANDS OF THE NEPHITES — MULEK AND LEHI — ZARA- 
HEMLA AND NEPHI — THE WILDERNESS — THE LAND OF 
FIRST INHERITANCE— THE JOURNEYS NORTHWARD— THE 
WATERS OF MORMON— LEHI-NEPHI. ' 

^JpO THE ancient Nephites the whole of North 
America was known as the land of Mulek, and 
Sonth America as the land of Lehi; or, to nse the 
exact language of the Book of Mormon, the land south 
was called Lehi : and the land north was called Mulek. 

The reason why these names were so given was 
because the Lord brought Mulek into the land north, 
and Ivehi into the land south, when he led them from 
Judea to this greater land of promise. 

From the days of the first Mosiah to the era of 
Christ's advent, South America was divided into two 
grand divisions. These were the land of Zarahemla 
and the land of Nephi. During this period, except in 
times of war, the Lamanites occupied the land of 
Nephi, and the Nephites inhabited the land of Zara- 
hemla. 

That these two lands occupied the whole of the 
southern continent is shown by the statement of the 
sacred writer: Thus the land of Nephi, and the land 
of Zarahemla, were nearly surrounded by water ; there 
being a small neck of land between the land northward 
and the land southward. The width of this narrow 
neck of land that connected the two continents is in 
one place said to have been the distance of a day and a 
half's journey for a Nephite. In another place it is 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



383 



called a day's journey. Perhaps the places spoken of 
are not identical, but one may have been slightly to the 
north of the other along the line of the isthmus. 

Both the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla were sub- 
divided, for governmental purposes, into smaller lands, 
states or districts. Among the Nephites, these lands, 
in the days of the republic, were ruled by a local chief 
judge, subject to the chief judge of the whole nation; 
and among the Lamanites by kings, who were tribu- 
tary to the head king, whose seat of government was 
at the city of Lehi-Nephi or Nephi. 

The land of Nephi covered a much larger area of 
country than did the land of Zarahemla. The two 
countries were separated by the wilderness which 
extended extirely across the continent from the shores 
of the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The northern 
edge of this wilderness ran in a line almost due east 
and west, and passed near the head of the river Sidon. 
The Sidon is generally understood to be the river in 
these days called the Magdalena. 

All north of this belt of wilderness was considered 
the land of Zarahemla; all south of it was included in 
the land of Nephi. We are nowhere told its exact 
breadth, and can only judge thereof from casual refer- 
ences in the narrative of the Book of Mormon. 

The river Sidon flowed through the centre of the 
Nephite civilization of the days of the republic. After 
the convulsions that attended the crucifixion of the 
Holy Messiah, the physical and political geography of 
the continent was greatly changed, and the new condi- 
tions are very vaguely defined by the inspired his- 
torians. 

On the western bank of the river Sidon was built , 



384 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

the city of Zarahemla. From the time of its first 
occupancy by the Nephites, to the date of its des- 
truction by fire at the crucifixion, it was the capital or 
chief city of the nation, the centre of commercial 
activities, and the seat of government. It was the 
largest and oldest city within their borders, having 
been founded by the people of Zarahemla before the 
exodus of the Nephites, under the first Mosiah, from 
the land of Nephi. 

When the Nephites, by reason of increasing num- 
bers, the exigencies of war, or for other causes founded 
new cities, the cities so built were generally called 
after the name of the leader of the colony or some 
illustrious citizen, and the land immediately surround- 
ing, contiguous or tributary to the new city was called 
by the same name. As an example we will take the 
city or land of Ammonihah, regarding which it is 
written: Now it was the custom of the people of 
Nephi to call their lands and their cities, and their 
villages, }^ea, even all their small villages, after the 
name of him who first possessed them ; and thus it was 
with the land of Ammonihah. 

Some of these lands appear to have been relatively 
small, more resembling a county, or possibly a town- 
ship, than any other division at present prevailing in 
this country. Such we suppose to have been the lands 
of Helam and Moreanton. Others, such as the lands 
of Bountiful and Desolation, embraced wide, extended 
tracts of country. 

The exacl: place where Lehi and his little colony 
first landed on this continent is not stated in the Book 
Mormon : but it is generally believed among the Latter- 
day Saints to have been on the coast of Chili in thirty 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



385 



degrees south latitude. In fact, trie Prophet Joseph 
Smith so stated. 

We do not think it possible, without divine revela- 
tion, to determine with accuracy the identical spot 
where Lehi and his colon}' landed. We believe that 
the coast line of that region has entirely changed since 
those days. Even if we do not take into consideration 
the overwhelming convulsions that took place at the 
crucifixion of our Lord, which changed the entire face 
of nature, there remains the general elevation or sub- 
sistance of the land which is continually taking place 
the world over. Some coasts are rising, some are fall- 
ing. The land in South America, on its western or 
Pacific shores, has long been rising, some think for 
centuries. 

If this be so the rise of an inch a year would en- 
tirely change the configuration of the sea shore, and 
give this generation shallows and dry land, where but a 
few centuries ago there were deep waters. But so far 
as the results growing out of the terrible earthquakes 
that occurred at the death of the Savior are concerned, 
we can form no conclusions, for the}' were variable. In 
some regions the waters usurped the place of the land, 
in others the land encroached upon the waters. Which 
way it happened near the place where Lehi landed we 
have no record, and consequently can say nothing. For 
all we know a huge mountain may now cover the spot, 
or it may be hidden beneath the blue waters of the 
Pacific, scores of miles away from any present landing 
place. 

In the region that Lehi landed there he also died. 
Soon after his death, Nephi, and those of the colony 
who wished to serve the Lord, departed for another 



3 86 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



country. They did so by direct command of heaven. 
The reason for this command was the murderous hatred 
shewn by La in an and Lemuel towards Nephi and his 
friends. These vicious men determined to kill Nephi, 
that he might not be a king and a ruler over them. 
Their hearts were wicked, they loved sin and were 
resolved that they would not be governed by their 
virtuous and heaven-favored brother. 

Nephi and his company journeyed in the wilder- 
ness for many days. By the expression "the wilder- 
ness," we understand the inspired writer to mean the 
uncultivated and uninhabited portion of the land. This 
word appears to be frequently used in after } T ears, with 
this signif cation. At other times it is applied to the 
desert and uninhabitable regions, the tropical forests, 
and jungles infested with wild beasts. The journey of 
the Nephites was northward, as is shown by their later 
history ; but Nephi, in his very brief account of this 
migration, says nothing with regard to the direction in 
which they traveled. 

At the end of many days a land was found which 
was deemed suitable for settlement. There the com- 
pany pitched their tents, and commenced the tillage of 
the soil. In honor of their leader, it was called the 
land of Nephi; or to use the modest language of 
Nephi, My people would that we should call the 
name of the place Nephi; wherefore we did call it 
Nephi. 

No doubt the choice of location was made by 
divine inspiration. It was a highly-favored land, 
rich in mineral and vegetable productions, and 3 r ielded 
abundant crops to the labors of the husbandman. 

In this happy country the Nephites dwelt, pros- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



387 



pered and increased until they again moved northward. 
Perhaps not once nor twice they migrated, but several 
times ; for we hold it to be inconsistent with the story 
of the record and with good judgment to believe that ' 
in their first journey they traveled as far north as 
they were found four hundred years afterwards, when 
they again took up their line of march, and finally 
settled in the land of Zarahemla. In the first place 
there was no necessity for Nephi and his people taking 
such a lengthy, tedious and hazardous journey; in the 
second place, in their weak condition, it was nigh unto 
an impossibility. To have taken a journey of a few 
hundred miles would have placed them out of the 
reach of the Lamanites ; there was no need for them 
to travel thousands. Again, in a few years the 
Lamanites had followed and come up to them; it is 
altogether inconsistent to think that that people, with 
its racial characteristics, would in so short a time have 
accomplished so marvelous a triumph as to follow, 
hunt up and attack their late brethren if the latter 
had placed all the distance from Chili to Ecuador 
between them and their pursuers. When we consider 
the difficulties of travel through the trackless wilder- 
ness, the obstacles interposed by nature, the lack of all 
roads or other guides to indicate where the Nephites 
had gone, it seems out of the question to imagine that 
in twenty years or so, the shiftless, unenterprising 
Lamanites had accomplished such a feat. To the con- 
trary, we believe that Nephi and those with him trav- 
eled until they considered themselves safe, then 
settled down in a spot which they deemed desirable. 
By and by the Lamanites came upon them ; the Ne- 
phites defended themselves as long as they could, and 



3 SS 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



when the}' could do so no longer they again moved to 
the northward. Their early history was one of fre- 
quent wars; and as the Lord used the Lamanites as 
thorns in their sides when they turned from him. we 
judge for this reason, and that they were found so far 
north in the days of Amaleki and Mosiah, that the 
savage descendants of Laman had frequently defeated 
them and driven them farther and farther away from 
the land of their first possession. 

The inquiry will natural!}' arise, as a result of 
these suggestions : In what portion of the South Amer- 
ican continent lay the home of the Xephites in the 
davs of Mosiah? This cannot be answered authorita- 
tively. "We are nowhere told its exact situation. Still, 
there are many references in the Book of Mormon 
from which we can judge, to some extent, of its loca- 
tion. Elder Orson Pratt suggests that it was in the 
country we now call Ecuador. The writer entirely 
agrees with Elder Pratt's suggestion. Other brethren 
have placed it considerably farther south ; but in our 
reading of the Book of Mormon we have found no 
evidence to confirm their suppositions, but much to 
contradict, them. 

We believe that the lands occupied by the Xe- 
phites before they went down into the land of Zara- 
hemla were situated among the table lands or high 
valleys of the Andes, much as Utah is located in the 
bosom of the Rocky Mountains and parallel chains. 
For these reasons : 

First — They were lands rich in minerals, which 
all through the American continents are found most 
abundantly in mountain regions. We may (so far as 
mineral proximity is concerned) compare the country 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 389 

east of this portion of the Andes — the unexplored, 
alluvial silvas of the Amazon — to the great plains or 
prairies east of the Rocky Mountains. These silvas, 
stretching from the Andes to the Atlantic, we regard as 
the great wilderness south of Zarahemla so often spoken 
of in the annals of the Judges. 

Secondly, the climate of the torrid low lands, 
almost directly under the equator, would be intolerable 
for its heat, and deadly in its humidity; while the 
country in the high valleys and table lands would be 
excellently adapted to human life, especially (we may 
presume) before the great upheavals and convulsions 
that marked the death of the Redeemer. As the 
Nephites spread over the country they located in 
regions where fevers were common, possibly in those 
parts rendered unhealthy by the overflowing of the 
rivers, which, when they receded, left large bodies of 
stagnant water covering the surface of the ground for 
the greater portion of the year. 

It is also probable that in their journeys the 
Nephites would follow the most available route, rather 
than plunge into the dense, untrodden, primeval forests 
of the wilderness ; the home of all manner of savage 
animals, venomous snakes and poisonous reptiles; 
where a road would have to be cut every foot of the 
way through the most luxuriant and gigantic tropical 
vegetation to be found on the face of the globe. There- 
fore we regard its accessibility as another reason for 
believing that the Nephites did not leave the great 
backbone of the continent to descend into the unex- 
plored depths of the region whose character ( they 
aptly sum up in the one word, wilderness. 

Our readers must not forget that there were two 

24 



39° 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



lands called by the name of Nephi. The one was a 
limited district immediately snrronnding the city of 
Lehi-Nephi or Nephi. There Mosiah and the Nephites 
dwelt, abont two hundred years before Christ. The 
other land of Nephi occnpied the ivhole of the conti- 
nent sonth of the great wilderness. This wilderness 
formed its northern boundary, and its frontier thereon 
ran in a straight course from the east to the west sea, 
or, to use our modern geographical names, in a straight 
line from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. 

As this wilderness, though of great length east 
and west, was but a narrow strip north and south, and 
its northern edge ran close to the head waters of the 
River Sidon (or Magdalena) , it is evident that the land 
of Nephi covered by far the greater portion of South 
America. Within its wide boundaries was situated the 
original land of Nephi; as well as many other lands 
called by various local names, just in the same way as 
there are many States in these United States, all 
together forming one great nation. 

It is very obvious how there grew to be these two 
lands of Nephi. At first, the small district, around the 
capital city comprised all the territory occupied by the 
Nephites. As the}' spread out, whatever valley, plain, 
etc., they reclaimed from the wilderness was considered 
a part of that land; and thus, year by }^ear, its borders 
grew wider and wider, while for convenience sake or 
govermental purposes, the newly built cities and the 
land surrounding were called by varied names, accord- 
ing to the wishes of the people, most frequently after 
the leader of the out-going colon}' or founder of the 
city. Thus we have a land of Nephi within the land 
of Nephi; just as we have now-a-days Utah County 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 391 



within Utah Territory ; and the city of New York and 
the connty of New York within the state of New 
York. To distinguish the smaller land of Nephi from 
the whole conntry, it is sometimes called the land of 
Lehi-Nephi. 

We have stated that the small land of Nephi 
was a very limited district. We think this is easily 
proven. It was so limited in extent that we are told 
king Noah bnilt a tower near the temple so high that 
he conld stand npon the top thereof and overlook not 
only the land of Lehi-Nephi where it was bnilt, bnt 
also the land of Shilom and the land of Shemlon, 
which last named land was possessed by the Laman- 
ites. No matter how high the tower, these lands mnst 
have been comparatively small (or at any rate the land 
of Lehi-Nephi was) to have enabled a man to overlook 
the whole three from the top of one bnilding. 

It was on the borders of this land, at the onter 
edge of its cultivated grounds, in the forest (or thicket) 
of Mormon, that Alma used to hide himself in the 
daytime, from the searches of the king, while he min- 
istered among the people when the shades of evening 
gave him security. It was there he gathered the believ- 
ers in his teachings, baptized them in the waters of 
Mormon, and organized the Church of Jesus Christ, 
From the waters of Mormon to Zarahemla it was 
twenty-two days' actual travel for an emigrant train. 

Alma having been warned of the Lord that the 
armies of king Noah would come upon his people, 
the latter gathered together their flocks, and took of 
their grain and departed into the wilderness w T hich 
divided the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla. They fled 
eight days' journey into the wilderness when they 



392 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

rested and commenced to build a city, which they 
called Helam. Being afterwards compelled to leave 
this city, on account of the persecutions of the Laman- 
ites and Amulonites, they again took their journey 
northward, and reached the homes of the main body of 
the Nephites in Zarahemla in about fourteen days. 

Here we have a people encumbered and delayed 
by flocks and herds, heavily laden with grain, etc., 
making the journey (in two separate stages) in twenty- 
two days. It is scarcely supposable that they traveled 
in a direct line; mountains, rivers and swamps would 
render the journey somewhat circuitous or winding. 
But even supposing that they did advance in an almost 
direct line from point to point, it would only make the 
distance between Nephi and Zarahemla 220 miles, if 
they traveled ten miles a day; 330, if they traveled 
fifteen miles; and 440 if they journeyed twenty miles 
a day. 

Our readers must decide for themselves which dis- 
tance per day is the most likely that a company, driv- 
ing their flocks and herds before them, would advance 
through an unexplored wilderness, full of natural 
hindrances, and without roads, bridges, ferries and 
other helps to the traveler. 

Zarahemla was situated on the Sidon, certainly a 
considerable distance from its head waters, as other 
lands and cities (such as Minon and Manti) are men- 
tioned as lying far above it. If we measure the distance 
from such a point southward, either 200, 300 or 400 
miles, all these measurements will bring us into the 
country now called Ecuador. 

We are of the opinion that the land of Lehi-Nephi 
was situated in one of the higher valleys, or extensive 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 393 



plateaus of the Andes. In the first place, admitting 
it was in Ecuador, it would lie almost immediately 
under the equator, and the lowlands, as before sug- 
gested, would be unbearable for an industrious popula- 
tion on account of the great heat; as well as exceed- 
ingly unhealthy by reason of chills, fever, and like 
complaints. 

Again, the crops of which the Nephites raised 
most abundantly — barley and wheat — are not those 
that flourish in a tropical climate, but can be grown 
most advantageously in a temperate region, such as 
could be found in these higher valleys. 

It was also a land rich in mineral wealth, which is 
not probable would have been the case if it had been 
situated among the wide-spreading alluvial plains east 
of the Andes. 

It is likewise spoken of as a hilly or mountainous 
country.. The hill north of the land of Shilom is 
frequently mentioned in the historical narrative. For 
instance : 

Ammon came to a hill, which is north of the land 
of Shilom (Mostah viz. 5). 

King Limhi caused his guards to go to the hill 
which was north of Shilom (Moszak viz. 16) . 

King Noah erected a great tower on the hill north 
of the land of Shilom (Mosiah xi. 13.) 

For another reason, the expression "up" is almost 
always used when reference is made to persons going 
towards the land of Nephi. Not only did they travel 
from Zarahemla up the Sidon and across the wilder- 
ness to Nephi, but also up from the land of Ishmael 
and other portions of the land of Nephi to the city of 
Nephi and its surroundings. In contradistinction to 



394 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

this, persons leaving Nephi went down to the land of 
Zarahemla and other places. 

The only time in which the word down is nsed, 
when referring to persons going towards Nephi, is 
when certain persons came down to the city from off 
the hill mentioned above. 

Some of onr readers may objedt to the statement 
that the city of Nephi and the city of Lehi-Nephi were 
one and the same place; and that the land ronnd abont 
was sometimes called the land of Lehi-Nephi, and 
sometimes the land of Nephi only. Bnt we think that 
a careful perusal of the record of Zeniff, in the Book of 
Mormon, .will convince them of the fact ; especially if 
they will compare it with the last few verses of the 
book of Omni. Zeniff in one place speaks of possess- 
ing, by treaty with the Lamanites, the land of Lehi- 
Nephi (Moszak ix. 6), and a few verses later on (verse 
14), he talks of the thirteenth year of his reign in the 
land of Nephi. 

If we mistake not, the name of Lehi-Nephi occurs 
only seven times in the Book of Mormon; everywhere 
else the name Nephi is nsed when referring to this 
land. 



CHAPTER LXIX. 



NEPHI IN THE HANDS OF THE LAMANITES — THE LANDS OF 
SHEMLON, SHILOM, HELAM, AMULON, ISHMAEL, MID~ 
DONI, JERUSALEM, ETC. 

JN THE second generation the Nephites began to 
grow numerous, and iniquity made its appearance 
among them. It was then that Jacob their priest (the 
younger brother of Nephi), prophesied: The time 
speedily cometh, that except ye repent, they [the 
Lamanites] shall possess the land of your inheritance, 
and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out 
from among you. This prophecy was completely ful- 
filled, if not on previous occasions, about 300 years or 
so afterwards, when Mosiah, by the command of God, 
led the righteous Nephites out of the land of their 
inheritance — the land of Nephi — down into the land 
of Zarahemla. 

From that time the land of Nephi was possessed 
and ruled by the posterity of Laman, Lemuel and Ish- 
mael; or by Nephite apostates, who, with superior cun- 
ning, worked themselves on to the Lamanitish throne. 

During the era that the Nephites dwelt in the land 
of Nephi they built several cities. These the Laman- 
ites eagerly took possession of when Mosiah and his 
people vacated them. We are not told when and by 
whom these cities were founded; such particulars, 
doubtless, appear on the plates of the kings. It is 
only incidentally that we learn anything regarding 
them; reference to them is found in the record of 
Zeniff's return from Zarahemla, and re-occupancy, by 



396 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

treaty with the Lamanites, of a portion of the old 
Nephite home. 

The Lamanites of that age were a wild, ferocious, 
bloodthirsty and nomadic race, who did not build cities, 
for the simple reason that they had neither the inclina- 
tion nor the skill. But when they found the Nephite 
cities deserted by their inhabitants they immediately 
occupied them. Even then, they did not enlarge or 
repair them, but let them fall into gradual decay. 

No sooner had the Lamanites surrendered the 
cities of Lehi-Nephi and Shilom to Zeniff than his 
people set to work to build buildings and to repair their 
walls. In the next generation king Noah caused many 
fine buildings and towers to be built in both the lands 
of Lehi-Nephi and Shilom. 

The two cities above mentioned are the only ones 
directly spoken of in the Book of Mormon up to this 
time. There was most probably a city built in the con- 
tiguous land of Shemlon, which was held by the La- 
manites, but it is never mentioned by name. 

We judge Shilom lay to the northward of Lehi- 
Nephi, and in the same valley or plateau; otherwise it 
Noah's tower, mentioned in our last chapter. Its relative 
could not have been so completely viewed from King 
position to Lehi-Nephi appears from the fact that those 
who went to or from the land of Zarahemla, generally 
did so by way of Shilom; it seems to have lain in the 
direct route between the two capital cities. Ammon, 
the Zarahemlaite, and his company entered in that 
way, and Limhi and his people escaped in the same 
direction. 

The next eity that we read of is called Helam. It 
was located eight days' journey from Nephi towards 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 397 

Zaraheinla, and was founded by Alma, the elder, and 
his followers, when they fled from the murderous per- 
secutions of king Noah. This city and the surround- 
ing country were called after the first man baptized by 
Alma in the waters of Mormon. His name was Helam, 
and he was doubtless a leader among that people. 

In the same direction from Nephi as Helam, and 
apparently adjoining thereto, lay the land of Amulon. 
It was first peopled by the fugitive priests of Noah, when 
they fled from the vengeance .of the justly incensed 
Nephites. The leader of this band of wicked men was 
named Amulon, and in his honor the land was so called. 
The king of the Lamanites afterwards made Amulon 
the tributary king or chief local ruler over the lands 
of Helam and Amulon. From this we judge that they 
lay side by side, their boundaries extending indefinitely 
into the great wilderness. 

Our next information regarding the condition of the 
land of Nephi is gleaned from the history of the 
mission of the sons of king Mosiah to the Lamanites 
in that region. This mission commenced B. C. 91, and 
lasted fourteen years. 

We find the Lamanites of that age considerably 
advanced in civilization, many of them inhabiting 
populous cities. The country was divided into several 
distinct kingdoms, each ruled by its own king, but all 
subject to the head monarch whose court was at Nephi. 

The lands specially mentioned in connection with 
this mission are those of Nephi, Middoni, Ishmael, 
Shilom, Shemlon, Helam, Amulon and Jerusalem. 

Shilom and Shemlon we have already shewn to be 
in the neighborhood of Lehi-Nephi; Helam, eight 
days' journey for loaded teams to the north, and 



398 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Amnion not far distant therefrom. We may next 
inquire what can be learned of the lands of Jerusalem, 
Ishmael and Middoni. 

The location of the land of Jerusalem is clearly 
stated. It was away joining the borders of Mormon, 
that is, on the other side, probably east or north from 
Nephi. There, somewhere about 100 years B. C, the 
Lamanites, with Amulonites and other apostate Ne- 
phites, built a great and thriving city, which they 
called Jerusalem, after their father's ancient home in 
Judea. 

There Aaron, the son of Mosiah, unsuccessfully 
preached the gospel. Its apostate citizens were too 
sin-hardened to accept the message he bore. This city 
was afterwards destroyed on account of its great wick- 
edness and persecution of the Saints, in the terrors 
that attended the crucifixion of the Savior, and waters 
came up in the place thereof. A stagnant sea, akin to 
that which covers Sodom and Gomorrah, occupies the 
place where once its proud places and rich synagogues 
stood. 

The first land visited by the missionary prince-, 
Amnion, was Ishmael; its situation is not clearly 
stated. It was down from Nephi. This leads to the 
thought that it lay in the alluvial plains considerably 
east of the Andes. It does not seem compatible with 
the narrative of Amnion's mission to believe it was 
situated in the narrow strip of wilderness that lay 
between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its 
relative position to other lands precludes this idea. 

Near the highway that connected Ishmael and 
Nephi lay the land of Middoni. This is shown by the 
fact that when Amnion and king Lamoni were travel- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 399 



ing from Ishmael towards Middoni they met Lamoni's 
father, the head king of all the land, coming from 
Nephi. This leads to the conclusion that the same 
road from Ishmael led to both Nephi and Middoni. 

Nephi is called tip from both these lands ; we, 
therefore, suggest that, like Ishmael, Middoni occupied 
a portion of the lower lands on the eastern borders of 
the Andes, but somewhat nearer the capital city. 



THE LANDS OF THE' NEPHITES, CONTINUED — ZARAHEMLA— 
JERSHON — ANTIONUM — MANTI — GIDEON. 

AS THERE were two lands of Nephi, the greater and 



the lesser, so, for exactly the same reason, there 
were two lands of Zarahemla; the one occupying the 
whole of South America, from the great wilderness, 
which formed its southern border, northward to the 
land Bountiful ; the other, the district immediately sur- 
rounding the capital city. 

That there was a Zarahemla within Zarahemla is 
shewn by various passages in which persons are spoken 
of as journeying to the land of Zarahemla, when they 
were already within the borders of the greater land of 
that name. For instance, Minon, on the river Sidon, 
is said to have been situated above the land of Zara- 
hemla {Alma ii. 24) ; again, Alma took Amulek and 
came over to the land of Zarahemla from Sidon {Alma 
xv. 18). While in many other places, notably where 
the boundaries of the possessions of the Nephites are 



CHAPTER LXX. 




400 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

given, the name Zarahenila is applied to the whole of 
the lands of that people, even sometimes including 
Bountiful, which is generally spoken of separately. 

In the days of the first Mosiah and his son, king 
Benjamin, the greater portion of the Nephites appear to 
have been located in and immediately around the city 
of Zarahemla. King Benjamin, when about to resign 
the ro} T al authority into the hands of his son Mosiah, 
commanded him to gather his people together, For, he 
adds, on the morrow I shall proclaim unto this my peo- 
ple out of mine own mouth, that thou art a king and a 
ruler over this people {Mosiah i. 10). The proclama- 
tion was sent forth and the people were gathered in an 
unnumbered host; a thing that could not have been 
done in so short a time had their habitations been widely 
scattered over an extended territory. 

In the reign of the younger Mosiah, the people 
stretched out in all directions, and colonies were 
planted in distant regions. This vigorous policy was 
continued, only on a much larger scale, during the 
days of the Judges. 

After carefully perusing the Book of Mormon, we 
suggest that the lands or cities (which in Nephite 
geography appear to be frequently used interchange- 
ably, or one for the other), included within the borders 
of the Nephites, in the da}^s of the Judges, were: 

In the extreme north, the land of Bountiful, which 
extended southward from the Isthmus of Panama. On 
its southern frontier lay the land of Jershon. 

On the River Sidon: Zarahemla, Minon, Gideon 
and Manti. 

In the interior, eastward of the Sidon: Antionum, 
Siron, and probably Nephihah. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and Carib- 
bean Sea: Mulek, Moreanton, Lehi, Omner, Gid, Aaron 
and Moroni. 

In the interior, west of the Sidon: Melek, Xoah, 
Ammonihah and Sidom. 

Between the upper waters of the Sidon and the 
Pacific Ocean, or in the extreme southwest: Cunieni, 
Antiparah, Judea and Zeezrom. 

Besides the above Jhe following cities are men- 
tioned, but only in connection with their destruction at 
the time of the terrible convulsions that marked the 
sacrifice at Jerusalem, of the world's Redeemer: 

The great city of Moronihah, covered with earth. 

Lanian, Gad, Josh and Kishkumen, burned with 

fire. 

Gilgal, Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob and Gim- 
gimno, sunk in the depths of the earth ; and 

Onihah and Mocum, in whose place waters came 

up. 

We imagine from the names, that some of the 
above were built by the Lamanites or Gadianton rob- 
bers. But this is simply a conjecture, as the sacred 
record is entirely silent on the point. 

We will now very brief!}' examine, one by one, 
some of the more important divisions of the country. 

Jershox. — This was the name given to the regions 
set apart by the Nephites (B. C. 78), as the home of the 
Ammonites, or Christian Lamanites. It was situated 
far to the north, and was evidently chosen for the 
reason that the strength of the Xephite nation might 
lie between the fugitives and their former coun- 
trymen, the Lamanites, who then thirsted for their 
blood. It was bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the 



4-02 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



laud Bountiful on the north and east, and by the land 
of Antionuni on the south. Its western boundary is 
not defined, but we are inclined to believe, from the 
context, that it was the river Sidon. Its geographical 
situation is partly described in Alma xxvii. 22, thus: 
We [the Nephites] will give up the land of Jershon, 
which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land 
Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful. 
With regard to its southern boundary, Alma xxxi. 3 
(which we shall hereafter quote) , states that Antionum 
la}< to the south of it. 

Antionum, the land where the Zorarnite apostates 
gathered (B. C. 75), was an extensive and thinly-settled 
region, extending from the land of Jershon to the great 
southern wilderness. Its boundaries are thus defined 
(A/ma xxxi. 3) : Antionum, which was east of the 
land of Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon 
the sea shore, which was south of the land of Jershon, 
which also bordered upon the wilderness south. By 
this we understand that it stretched north from the 
great wilderness, which passed by the head of the 
Sidon, almost to the Atlantic Ocean; that its western 
boundary was the land of Zarahemla, and Jershon its 
northern limit. Nothing is said of its eastern borders 
for the simple reason that at the time this passage was 
originally written, the country east was yet uninhab- 
ited, except possibly by a few wandering Lamanites. 
At its extreme southern or southeastern corner, " among 
the borders of the Lamanites" of the wilderness, was 
the outlaying land of Siron. This place is mentioned 
but once in the Book of Mormon (Alma xxxix. 3). 

ManTI. — During the days of the republic, Manti 
was a district of great importance to the Nephites. It 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



403 



was situated contiguous to the wilderness at the head 
waters of the Sidon {Alma xvi. <5), and lay on the line 
of march generally taken by the armies of the Laman- 
ites when they invaded Zarahemla. Its exact boun- 
daries are not defined ; indeed, it is altogether probable 
that they varied considerably at different periods of 
Nephite history. However, it is evident that it was 
the most southerly of all the. lands inhabited by the 
Nephites, in the western half of the South American 
continent, after they had moved from the land of 
Nephi. 

Gideon. — In a valley on the east of the Sidon was 
built, during the early days of the republic, an import- 
ant city, which was named after the martyr Gideon. 
The valley itself was also known by the same name, and 
is frequently called the land of Gideon, for we find no 
evidence to lead to the conclusion that the land ex- 
tended beyond the valley. Nearly all that we know of 
this region is contained in a single passage {Alma vi. 7) , 
which states that Alma left Zarahemla and went over 
upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of 
Gideon, there having been a city built which was called 
the city of Gideon, which was in the valley that was 
called Gideon, being called after the man who was 
slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword. 

From the references in the historical narrative we 
incline to the opinion that this valley lay either directly 
east, or somewhat to the south of the city of Zara- 
hemla. Travelers coining from the north are never 
mentioned as passing through it on their way to Zara- 
hemla, without they had a purpose in so doing, as in 
the case where Moroni marched from the northeast to 
the relief of chief judge Pahoran {Alma Ixii). 



CHAPTER LXXI. 



LANDS OF THE NEPHITES CONTINUED — MINON — MELEK— 
AMMONIH AH — NOAH — SIDOM — AARON — LEHI — MULEK — 
BOUNTIFUL— THE SOUTHWEST BORDER. 

"TV/TINON is mentioned but once in the Book of Mor- 



mon. Its location is then directly stated. It is 
spoken of as the land of Minon, above the land of 
Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi (Alma 
ii. 24). Elder Orson Pratt, in a note to this chapter, 
places Minon about two days' journey south of the city 
Zarahemla. This is the obvious conclusion to be drawn 
from the details contained in the chapter; from these 
details and the above quotation, we also judge it to 
have been on the western banks of the Sidon, and in 
the direct road between Nephi and Zarahemla. At 
this date (B. C. 91) it was inhabited b}^ an agricultural 
population, who, at the approach of the Lamanites, fled 
before them into the capital city. 

As the course of the river Sidon was from south 
to north, it is but reasonable to conclude that when the 
words above and below are used, when reference is 
made to places on its banks or in its neighborhood, that 
above means south and below, north. This is a very 
common mode of expression in such cases. 

Mi'.lek. — The boundaries of this land are very 
indistinctly stated by the inspired writer of the Book 
of Alma, for it is in that book alone that it is men- 
tioned. However, two things are positively stated 
(chapter vzu\) } namely, that it was west of the river 
Sidon, and that it extended westward as far as the 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 405 

narrow strip of wilderness which ran north and south 
between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. We 
imagine tha't its eastern borders touched the land of 
Zarahemla and from thence it stretched out as far as 
the country proved habitable ; as it appears to have had 
a large population, judging from the account given of 
Alma's ministrations (B. C. 82). That it embraced a 
large district of country is proven by the fact that when 
Alma had finished his labors in the city of Melek, he 
traveled three days' journey on the north of the 
land of Melek before he came to the city of Ammon- 
ihah {Alma viii. 6). In later years, when it was con- 
sidered unsafe for the Ammonites to remain longer in 
Jershon they were removed to Melek, the proximity of 
which to Zarahemla, as well as its remoteness from the 
lands of the Lamanites, rendered it admirably adapted 
as a place of safety for that persecuted people. 

Ammonihah. — When Alma had made the three 
days' journey spoken of above, he reached Ammon- 
ihah, the country around which city was called by the 
same name. From the text of the passage some 
conclude that Alma traveled northward from Melek, 
but to us it conveys the idea that the prophet journeyed 
three days westward along or near the northern boun- 
dary of that land. We are confirmed in this opinion by 
the statement made in another place regarding Am- 
monihah's proximity to that portion of the wilderness 
which ran along the sea shore (A /ma xxii. 2/). In 
Alma {xvi. 2), it is stated: The armies of the Laman- 
ites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the bor- 
ders of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah. If 
Ammonihah had been situated three days' journey north 

of Melek, we suggest that it could not have been near 

25 



406 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

that portion of the wilderness which the Lamanites so 
easily reached without discovery; for a march due north 
would have taken them close to, or actually through 
the lands of Minon, Noah, Mele.k and Zarahemla, the 
most thickly populated portions of the country; or, to 
have avoided these, they must have taken a circuitous 
route of immense length and great danger. Then 
when they attempted to retire, their retreat, owing to 
their great distance from Nephi, would have most 
assuredly been cut off, as was the case with the 
Lamanite general Coriantumr under these conditions. 

Noah. — Of this land we simply know two things : 
First, that it was west of the Sidon; second, that it was 
not far distant from Ammonihah and Melek. 

Sidom is only mentioned in the 15th chapter of 
Alma. When the persecuted members of the true 
church were driven out of Ammonihah by its vicious 
citizens, they fled to Sidom. It is not supposable that 
these persecuted people were in a condition to travel 
far. The}^ would necessarily gather to the first avail- 
able place of refuge. It is, therefore, reasonable to 
conclude that Sidom was not far distant from Ammon- 
ihah . 

Aarox. — When Alma was first cast out of Ammon- 
ihah he turned his face towards a city called Aaron 
{Alma viii. 13). It is natural to suppose that Aaron 
was not far distant from Ammonihah ; at any rate, not 
on the other side of the continent. Yet the only other 
time when a city called Aaron is referred to, it is 
spoken of as adjoining the land of Moroni, which was 
the frontier district in the extreme southeast of the 
lands possessed by the Nephites. Our onby way out 
of this difficulty is to suggest that there were two cities 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



called Aaron ; not at all an unlikely thing when we 
reflect how important a personage Aaron, the son of 
Mosiah, was among his people. When chosen to be 
king he declined this great honor and the republic was 
established. It requires no stretch of the imagination 
to believe that a free and grateful people would name 
more than one city in honor of this self-denying prince. 
When we consider how many places there are in the 
United States called Washington, Lincoln, etc., our 
only wonder is that we do not find more than two cities 
called Aaron. 

This same difficult}' exists with regard to Xephi- 
hah. We fancy there were also two cities of this 
name; one situated on the southern frontier, some dis- 
tance east of Manti and the Sidon [Alma Ivi. 25) ; the 
other on the Atlantic seaboard, north of Moroni [Alma 
/. 14). Of this latter city it is written that in the year 
B. C. 72 the Xephites began a foundation for a city 
between the city of Moroni and the city of Aaron, join- 
ing the city of Aaron and Moroni ; and they called the 
name of the city or land, Xephihah. This is the 
region again referred to in chapters 51, 59 and 62 of 
the Book of Alma. Elder Orson Pratt, in a foot note 
to chapter 56, draws attention to the fact that the Xephi- 
hah there mentioned is not the one spoken of in the 
other chapters. 

The Atlantic Sea-board. — It appears, though 
it is not altogether certain, that the lands and cities of 
the Xephites on the Atlantic sea-board were situated in 
the following order, commencing at the north; Mulek, 
Gid, Omner, Moreanton, Lehi, Aaron, Xephihah and 
Moroni (Alma //. 26). 

Moroxi was situated bv the seashore, on the 



408 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

borders of the great wilderness, being the farthest 
from the city of Zarahemla of all the settlements of 
the Nephites in the southeast. Or, to use the lan- 
guage of the inspired historian, It was by the east sea; 
and it was on the south by the land of the possessions 
of the Lamanites {Alma I. ij). As the wilderness ran 
in a straight line from east to west, and the Sidon 
arose near its northern border, on which border Moroni 
was also situated, if the convulsions at the time of the 
crucifixion of our Lord did not so alter the face of the 
country as to change the locality where this river took 
its rise, then Moroni was in the country now called 
Guiana, or in the extreme north of Brazil. The city 
Moroni now lies covered by the waters of the Atlantic 
(III Nephi viii. g). In Guiana, there is a river still 
called Moroni, or, as it is generally printed on the 
maps, Maroni or Marony. There is also a river Mor- 
ona in Ecuador. 

Lehi. — The land of Lehi on the Atlantic coast 
must not be confounded with the whole of South 
America, also called the land of Lehi by the Nephites. 
This lesser land of Lehi was the district surrounding 
the city of Lehi, and immediately adjoining the land 
of Moreanton, whose people indeed claimed, though 
unjustly, a portion of its territory. 

MulEK was the most northern of the settlements 
of the Nephites south of the land Bountiful, close to 
the borders of which it was built. It is positively 
stated to have been located on the east sea (Alma II. 26)] 
west of it was a wilderness, or uninhabited region 
(Alma In. 22). 

BOUNTIFUL. — We believe that there is an idea 
held by some that the city Bountiful was situated on 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 409 

the Pacific shore. This opinion we think is not war- 
ranted by the statement in the Book of Mormon. 
Mulek, as we have already shown, was on the Atlantic, 
or east sea; Bountiful was northward of Mulek. When 
Teancum retreated, before the hosts of the Lamanites, 
who poured out of the city of Mulek to capture his 
small force, he began to retreat down by the sea shore 
northward {Alma Hi. 23). This course brought him 
to Bountiful. From the details contained in this chap- 
ter we are forced to the conclusion that he and his 
soldiers reached that city on the same day that they 
started from outside Mulek. Now, unless the con- 
figuration of the coast line has been entirely and com- 
pletely changed, no march of one day, or indeed of any 
length of time along "the sea shore northward" would 
bring a person to the Pacific Ocean. Our only conclu- 
sion can be that Bountiful was situated on the sea shore 
on the eastern side of the Isthmus, if on the Isthmus 
at all. Other passages than the one above show that 
Mulek and Bountiful lay in close proximity. 

We fancy the reason why some suppose that the 
city Bountiful lay on the west coast, is because Hagoth 
built his ship yards there. But the record does not 
say he built them in or near the city Bountiful. What 
is stated is that Hagoth went forth and built him an 
exceeding large ship, on the borders of the land 
Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth 
into the west sea, by the narrow neck of land which 
led into the wilderness northward (A /ma liii. 5). 
This narrow neck of land was the dividing line between 
the land Desolation on the north, and the land Bounti- 
ful on the south. We think it is evident, from the 
above, that the city Bountiful and Hagoth's settlement 



4-IO STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

lay at entirely opposite extremes of this land, the first, 
in the southeast near Mulek, the second, in the north- 
west near Desolation. 

Before the land Bountiful was settled by the 
Nephites, it was a wilderness filled with all manner 
of wild animals of every kind; a part of which had 
come from the land northward for food {Alma xxii. ji). 
But the Nephites, to prevent the Lamanites creeping 
up through the wilderness along the coasts, east and 
west, and thus gain a foothold in the land north- 
ward, at as early a date as possible inhabited the 
land Bountiful, even from the east to the west sea 
(A/ma xxii. jj). 

The city called Bountiful is not mentioned until 
B. C. 64 (Alma Hi.), though the land of that name is 
frequently referred to at earlier dates. 

The Southwest Border. — All we know of the 
cities and lands in the southwest is contained in Hela- 
man's report to Moroni of the military operations in 
that department (Alma, Ivi, Iviii). Four cities are men- 
tioned west of Manti: Judea, Antiparah, Zeezrom and 
Cumeni. Of these, Antiparah appears to have been 
situated nearer the coast than Judea, while there was 
yet another city still nearer the ocean, and apparently 
to the north of Antiparah. But we can simply guess 
at their relative positions, no positive information being 
given us. 

Besides the foregoing there was a land called 
DESOLATION. Before the time of the Nephites it was 
thickly inhabited by the Jaredites. In the days of the 
latter people Bountiful formed its southern border. The 
two lands apparently joined at the Isthmus. At first, 
like most frontier districts, it extended indefinitely into 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 411 

the uninhabited regions. When other lands were 
colonized its boundaries became more definitely fixed. 
It is generally supposed to have embraced within its 
borders the region known to moderns as Central 
America. Its capital was a city of the same name, 
probably built in later years, as it is never mentioned 
but by Mormon in the account of the long series of 
wars in which he took so prominent a part. 



CHAPTER LXXIL 

THE LANDS OF ANTUM, TEANCUM, JOSHUA, DAVID, ETC. — 
CUMORAH — THE HILLS OF THE NEPHITES— THE RIVER 
SIDON. 

JN THE history of the final wars between the Ne- 
phites and Lamanites we find lands and cities men- 
tioned that are nowhere else spoken of. It is pre- 
sumable that most of them were built during the blest 
sabbatic era that followed the visit of the Redeemer. 
The greater portion of these places were situated in 
North America, but the exacl: locality can in scarcely 
any instance be determined. Among those named 
are the lands or cities of Antum, Angola, David, 
Joshua, Jashon, Shem, Teancum, Boaz, Jordon, Cu- 
morah, Sherrizah and Moriantum. 

Antum, a land of North America in which was 
situated a hill called Shim. In this hill Ammaron de- 
posited the sacred records. Mormon afterwards, by 
Ammaron's direction, obtained the plates of Nephi from 



412 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



this hiding place and continued the record thereon. 
The land of Jashon appears to have bordered on the 
land of Antum ; as the city of Jashon is said to have 
been near the land where Arnmaron deposited the 
records. 

The city of Teaxcum was situated by the sea 
shore near to, and apparently north of, the city Deso- 
lation. 

The land of Joshua was on the borders west by the 
sea shore, but whether in the northern or southern 
continent is not clear. 

The land of David appears to have been located 
between Angola and Joshua. 

One of the most noted places in ancient American 
history was the land in which was situated the hill 
known to the Jaredites as Ramah and to the Nephites as 
Cumorah. In its vicinity two great races were exter- 
minated; for it was there that the last battles were 
fought in the history of both peoples. There also the 
sacred records of the Nephites found their final resting 
place. When iniquity began to increase in their midst 
Arnmaron hid the holy things in the hill Shim (A. C. 
321). About fifty-five years after (say in A. C. 376) 
Mormon, seeing that his people were fast melting away 
before the Lamanites, and fearing that the latter would 
get possession of the records and destroy them, 
removed all that had been placed in his care by Arnma- 
ron, and afterwards hid up in the hill Cumorah all 
that had been entrusted to him by the hands of the 
Lord, save the few plates which he gave to his son 
Moroni. Moroni afterwards concealed the treasures 
committed to his keeping in the same hill, where they 
remained until they were, by heaven's permission, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 413 



exhumed and translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith 
for our edification. We presume all our readers are 
acquainted with the fact that this hill is situated about 
three or four miles from Palmyra, in the state of New 
York. 

Besides Cumorah, several other hills come promi- 
nently to the foreground in Nephite history. There 
were the hills R.iplah and Amnihu, near the river 
Sidon, in the neighborhood of which desperate battles 
were fought in the days of Alma, resulting, in both 
instances, in victory to the hosts of the Nephites. 
Again there was the hill Manti. It also was near the 
Sidon ; on its top Nehor was executed for the murder 
of the aged Gideon. Then there was Mount Antipas 
on whose summit Lehonti and the recalcitrant Laman- 
ites gathered when they refused to give heed to their 
king's war proclamation. It was situated somewhere 
within the borders of the Lamanites, near Onidah, the 
place of arms. There was also a hill Onidah in the 
land of Antionum, upon which Alma preached to the 
Zoramite apostates. 

When perusing the Book of Mormon we have 
sometimes inclined to the opinion that before the time 
of the crucifixion of Christ the Andes and other ranges 
of mountains existed in a much more modified form 
than at present. We have been led to this conclusion 
from the fact that no high mountains or stretches of 
rugged mountain country such as at present exist in 
Chili, Peru, Ecuador and the United States of Colum- 
bia, are suggested by the narrative. Individual hills 
such as we have drawn attention to, are occasionally 
mentioned, showing that the country was of diversified 
altitude; but we have little or nothing to lead our minds 



414 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

to the contemplation of the stupendous peaks and ever- 
lasting hills that characterize this region now-a-days. 
It is also somewhat singular that no reference is made 
to any rivers in the regions where the Orinoco and 
Amazon now course in their vast volume to the Atlan- 
tic. Our only answer is that the Book of Mormon is 
primarily a religious record, that the geographical and 
topographical references are only incidental, and con- 
sequently no special importance can be placed on what 
is not mentioned. Perhaps, also, these rivers, as sug- 
gested in the case of the Sidon, ran in different chan- 
nels, and possibly with a less volume of water then 
than now. 

One of the most important places in Nephite his- 
tory, for four or five hundred years, was the river Sidon. 
It was their great highway, more to them than the 
Mississippi is to this country or the Thames is to Eng- 
land. Along its banks were situated their capital and 
other prominent cities. Its valleys were the most 
densel}^ populated portions of the land. It was also 
the grand trunk road to the land of Nephi, and adown 
its banks poured the hosts of the dark skinned invaders 
when they forced their way into the land of Zarahemla. 
To tell all that took place on its borders would be to 
rewrite the history of the Judges, and to include much 
of the annals of the kings and the story of the Mes- 
sianic dispensation. 

As stated in other places in this book it is under- 
stood that the Sidon of the Nephites is the Magdalena 
of to-day; but it is open to question if its course was not 
considerably changed during the convulsions that 
attended the death of the Savior. We incline to the 
opinion that in the ages before those terrible upheavals 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 415 

of the lands the Sidon was a far nobler, more placid 
river than the Magdalena is now. Nor do we think it 
emptied into the ocean at the same spot as at present. 
The coast line, we believe, has much changed and with 
that change the ppint of outflow of this river has been 
moved. 

While journeying on their way through Arabia, 
Lehi and his party gave such names to the localities 
they passed or at which they rested as they pleased. 
The Red Sea is the only place we can distinguish by 
the name given to it. At their first temporary abiding 
place on its borders, Lehi, in honor of his elder sons, 
called the valley where they camped the valley of 
Lemuel, and the river that coursed through it the river 
Laman. As they proceeded on their journey we read 
of Shazer, Nahom, and Bountiful. The last named 
must not be confounded with the Bountiful in the 
northern part of South America where the Savior, more 
than six hundred years afterward, appeared and taught 
the Nephites. It was a portion of Arabia Felix, or 
Arabia the happy, so called in contradistinction of 
Arabia the stony and Arabia the desert, on account of 
its abundant productiveness and great fertility. It was 
in this blessed region, on the shore of the Arabian sea, 
that Nephi built the ship that carried the colony to the 
promised land. To the sea itself they gave the name 
of Irreantum, meaning many waters. 

The course taken by Lehi and his people has been 
revealed with some detail. We have been told by the 
Prophet Joseph Smith the course that Lehi and his 
company traveled from Jerusalem to the place of their 
destination : 

They traveled nearly a south-southeast direction 



416 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



until they came to the nineteenth degree of north lati- 
tude; then, nearly east to the sea of Arabia; then 
sailed in a southeast direction, and landed on the con- 
tinent of South America, in Chili, thirty degrees south 
latitude. 

With regard to the cource of Mulek and his 
company we are left entirely in the dark ; all we are 
told is that they landed in the northern continent. 
There is an understanding among the Latter-day Saints 
that this party traveled westward from Jerusalem. 
Some think they went first to Egypt under the guid- 
ance of the Prophet Jeremiah; then by the Mediter- 
ranean sea either to Spain or Morocco, thence by ship 
across the Atlantic. Others fancy they went direct by 
ship from Palestine 

Reference is made in the Book of Mormon to 
many lands, places and cities on the eastern continents. 
Among the best known lands mentioned are Assyria, 
Babylon, Egypt, Ophir, Cush, Elam, Syria, Bashan, 
Galilee, Samaria, Palestina, Edom and Moab. Among 
cities: Jerusalem, Nazareth, Damascus, Sodom and 
Gomorrah. Also Mounts Sinai, Horeb and Lebanon; 
the Red or Egyptian sea; and of peoples, the Medes, 
Chaldees, Midianites and Arabians. 




CHAPTER LXXIIL 



RELIGION OF THE NEPHITES — IT IS STATED BY NEPHI — 
THE PRIESTHOOD AND ORDINANCES THEREOF — BAP- 
TISM — CONFIRMATION — ORDINATION — THE SACRAMENT 
— SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 

^pHE RELIGION of the Nepliites was the gospel of 



our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It embraced, 
before his advent, those offerings and sacrifices typical 
of his life and death, the observance of which was 
enjoined upon the house of Israel by the law of Moses. 
As soon as he was offered upon the cross at Calvary 
these sacrifices ceased, as the law was fulfilled and its 
intent and purpose was accomplished. 

Nephi epitomizes the religious faith of his people 
in the following graphic and comprehensive language : 
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our 
children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, 
and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by 
grace that we are saved, after all we can do. 

And notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep 
the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness 
unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled ; 

For, for this end was the law given ; wherefore the 
law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive 
in Christ, because of our faith; yet we keep the law 
because of the commandments: 

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we 
preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write 
according to our prophecies, that our children may 
know to what source they may look for a remission of 
their sins. 




41 8 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Wherefore, we speak concerning the law, that our 
children may know the deadness of the law ; and they, 
"by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward 
unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what 
end the law was given. And after the law was fulfilled 
in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against 
him, when the law ought to be done away. 

Here are a hundred sermons in a few sentences, 
and every sentence is pregnant with the force and glory 
of God's eternal truth. Again, how concisely the plan 
of salvation is explained in the following passages : 

O how great the holiness of our God! For he 
knoweth all things, and there is not any thing, save he 
knows it. 

And he cometh into the world that he may save all 
men, if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, 
he suffereth the pains of all men; yea, the pains of 
every living creature, both men, women, and children, 
who belong to the family of Adam. 

And he suffereth this, that the resurrection might 
pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at 
the great and judgment day. 

And he commandeth all men that they must repent, 
and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the 
Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the 
kingdom of God. 

And if they will not repent and believe in his 
name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the 
end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy 
One of Israel, has spoken it. 

The priesthood of the Nephites was the same as 
ours. We read of High Priests, Elders, Priests and 
Teachers, in their church, but Evangelists, Bishops and 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 419 



Deacons are not mentioned. They also had nnmerons 
Prophets minister to them the pleasing or awful word 
of God, as their condition warranted or their lives 
deserved. But the spirit of prophecy is not confined to 
any particular grade of the priesthood, those holding 
none of its powers being frequently endowed with this 
most precious gift. 

The Twelve special witnesses whom Jesus chose 
on this continent, of whom Nephi was the first, are 
never called Apostles in the Book of Mormon, but 
always disciples ; the word apostles is only used in that 
book when applied to the Twelve who ministered with 
the Savior in the land of Jerusalem. 

The Nephite church when fully organized in the 
ages before the visit of the Redeemer, was always pre- 
sided over by a High Priest. He held to them the 
keys of the Holy Priesthood. Whether these keys 
remained with the Nephites at all times is doubtful. 
But many of their presidents were undoubtedly thus 
empowered. The Lord made covenant with Nephi, the 
son of Helaman, with his own voice as follows : 

Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which 
thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with 
unwearyingness declared the word which I have given 
unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared 
them, and hast not sought thine own life, but have 
sought my will, and to keep my commandments. 

And now because thou hast done this with such 
unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and 
I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith 
and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done 
unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask 
that which is contrary to my will. 



420 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I 
declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, 
that ye shall have power over this people, and shall 
smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and 
destruction, according to the wickedness of this peo- 
ple. 

Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye 
shall seal on earth, shall be sealed in heaven; and 
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed 
in heaven ; and thus shall ye have power among this 
people. 

And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple, it 
shall be rent in twain, it shall be done. 

And if ye shall say unto this mountain, be thou 
cast down and become smooth, it shall be done. 

And behold, if ye shall say, that God shall smite 
this people, it shall come to pass. 

And now behold, I command you that ye shall go 
and declare unto this people, That thus saith the Lord 
God, who is the Almighty, except ye repent ye shall be 
smitten even unto destruction. 

What greater powers than these has God ever 
given to man? 

The churches in the various lands or districts 
appear to have each been presided over locally by a 
High Priest, as the different stakes of Zion are in these 
days. In this and other respects a close resemblance 
can be perceived between the organization and govern- 
ment of the ancient Nephite church and the Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As an example of 
these local High Priests we refer to the case of Ammon, 
the son of king Mosiah, who held this office among the 
Christian Lamanites in the land of Jershon at the time 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



421 



that Alma was the presiding High Priest over the 
whole church. 

The duties, responsibilities and powers of the vari- 
ous orders of the priesthood were evidently identical 
with those possessed by the same officers in the church 
of God in these latter days. Were we arguing from a 
doctrinal standpoint Ave should claim that this must 
necessarily be so because of the unity of the church of 
the Lamb in all ages ; but we are now simply affirming 
that which appears from the statements, historical and 
otherwise, that are to be found in the Book of Mormon. 
The fact of this identity of duties and powers is appar- 
ent in the instructions which are recorded as being 
given regarding the ordinance of baptism, the bestowal 
of the Holy Ghost, the administration of the Sacrament 
of the Lord's supper, the ordination of priests and 
teachers, etc. 

Not only was the priesthood identical but the ordi- 
nances of the church were the same. The same words 
were spoken in the baptism of converts as are used 
now. The same mode of baptism was observed. The 
same persons — the penitent believers — were baptized. 
The baptism of little children was forbidden in the 
most energetic language.* When Jesus instructed his 
disciples on the subject of baptism he said: On this 

* And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. 
Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto 
the remission of sins. 

Little children cannot repent ; wherefore it is awful wickedness to 
deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him 
because of his mercy. 

And he that saith, That little children need baptism, denieth the 
mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the 
power of his redemption. — MORMON. 
26 



42 2 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



wise shall ye baptize ; and there shall be no disputa- 
tions among yon. 

Verily I say nnto yon, that whoso repenteth of his 
sins through your words, and desire th to be baptized in 
iny name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, 
3^e shall go down and stand in the water, and in my 
name shall ye baptize them. 

And now behold, these are the words which ye 
shall say, calling them by name, saying, 

Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I bap- 
tize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and 
come forth again out of the water. 

The words spoken by the Elder or Priest who 
blessed the bread or the wine in the administration of 
the sacrament, were word for word, identical with those 
that we use; and the officers who officiated in the bless- 
ing of the emblems, Elders and Priests, were the same. 

In ordinations to the priesthood a similar form was 
employed to that used in this dispensation, and men 
were ordained to the same calling. It is written : 

The manner which the disciples, who were called 
the Elders of the church, ordained Priests and Teach- 
ers. 

After they had prayed unto the Father in the 
name of Christ, they laid their hands upon them, and 

said, 

In the name of Jesus Christ I ordain you to be a 
Priest: for, if he be a Teacher,) I ordain you to be a 
Teacher, to preach repentance and remission of sins 
through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his 
name to the end. Amen. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 423 

It must be remembered that their various ordi- 
nances, so far as we have the record, were all performed 
in the name of Jesus Christ, except that of baptism, 
which was done in the name of the Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost. 

With regard to the manner of conducting their 
meetings we are told, And their meetings were con- 
ducted by the church, after the manner of the workings 
of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost ; for 
as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to 
preach, or exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to 
sing, even so it was done. 

The same parallel between the two churches can 
also be found when we consider the subject of spiritual 
gifts. The Savior, when giving his charge to the 
Twelve Nephite disciples, said : Go ye into all the world, 
and preach the gospel to every creature, 

And he that believeth and is baptized, shall be 
saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned. 

And these signs shall follow them that believe ; in 
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak 
with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and 
if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; 
they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall 
recover. 

And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubt- 
ing nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, 
even unto the ends of the earth. 

Moroni, treating on this same subject, states: 

For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, 
that he may teach the word of wisdom ; 

And to another, that he may teach the word of 
knowledge by the same Spirit; 



424 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

And to another, exceeding great faith; and to 
another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 

And again, to another, that he may work mighty 
miracles ; 

And again, to another, that he may prophesy con- 
cerning all things ; 

And again, to another, the beholding of angels 
and ministering spirits; 

And again, to another, all kinds of tongues ; 

And again, to another, the interpretation of lan- 
guages and of divers kinds of tongues. 

And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ ; 
and they come unto every man severally, according as 
he will. 

And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, 
that ye remember that every good gift cometh of 
Christ. 

From these two quotations all can percieve that 
the gifts of the Spirit were the same in the Nephite 
church as among the ancient saints in Jerusalem and 
the people of God in these days. 



CHAPTER LXXIV. 



MIRACLES AMONG THE NEPHITES— THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST 
— JOHN AND THE THREE NEPHITES— TRANSLATIONS. 

^JpHE SUBJECT of spiritual gifts leads us to the 
kindred one of miracles. The Book of Mormon 
teaches in very strong language that God is a God of 
miracles. Were it not so he would cease to be an 
unchangeable Being. He would be a partial God, bless- 
ing one people more than another. 

Such is the teaching of the Book of Mormon on 
this point; and we find in the history of the Nephite 
people many remarkable manifestations of the marvel- 
ous power of God, either shown through the instru- 
mentality of his acknowledged servants, or by the 
direct interposition of divine power. 

Some of the miracles recorded in the annals of the 
Nephites bear a strong resemblance to others narrated 
in the Bible. There is nothing extraordinary in this : 
it is altogether reasonable to believe that in the healing 
of the sick, for instance, there would be incidents in 
common in many cases. Nor are the miracles of the 
Book of Mormon any more difficult of belief than those 
of the Bible. In fact, we are of the opinion that had 
the people of this dispensation been taught as persist- 
ently to believe the Book of Mormon as they have the 
Bible, the miracles of the first-named book would 
require less faith or explanation than some found in 
the latter. 

The miracles of the Book of Mormon consist 
largely in the healing of the sick, the deliverance of 
God's servants, and the punishment of the wicked. 



426 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Some of them are given in great detail, others are 
referred to in the most meagre language. Among 
those of which we have spoken at length in earlier 
portions of this work are the judgments that came 
upon the impious anti-Christs Sherem* and Korihorif 
the deliverance of Alma and Amulek from the prison 
in Ammoniliah ; J the restoration of the lawyer Zeezrom 
to health ;§ the deliverance of Nephi and Lehi; and the 
baptism with fire and the Holy Ghost of the Lamanitcs 
in the prison in the city of Lehi-Nephi;|| the famine 
caused and terminated by Nephi's prayer and the 
wonders that attended the ministrations of Ammon and 
his brethren during their mission among the Laman- 
ites.** Of these we shall make no further mention. 
Nor shall we again review the miraculous signs and 
wonders that attended the earthly birthff and deathtt of 
the Messiah. Neither do we think it necessary to take 
more than a passing glance at the miracles performed 
by Christ during his visits to the Nephites and the 
other wonders that glorified those days. But we will 
now refer, at slightly greater length, to a few miracu- 
lous circumstances that do not come so prominently 
into view in the historical narrative. 

In the Book of Alma reference is made to an 
occurrence which reminds us strongly of Daniel at the 
court of king Belshazzar. What is said is very brief 
and leaves the reader in entire darkness as to when 
and where the event took place. But from the context we 



* See Chapter vi. 
t Chapter xxvi. 
X Chapter xxiv. 
'i Chapter xxv. 
|| Chapter xxxvii. 



See Chapter xxx viii. 
** Chapter xix. 
ft Chapter xl. 
tl Chapter xli. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 427 



are led to the conclusion that it took place in the land of 
Nephi, and certainly not later than the days of the first 
Mosiah. The Prophet Amulek, in the opening of his 
address to his fellow citizens of Ammonihah, to prove 
his standing in their midst, refers to his ancestry. 
Among his forefathers was one Aminadi, a Nephite, 
who interpreted certain writing, written by the finger 
of God upon the walls of a temple. Nothing more is 
told us of this exceedingly interesting and important 
event, and we are left to conjecture as to what circum- 
stances led to this divine interposition, and whether 
the words so miraculously written were of instruction, 
comfort or reproof {Alma x. 2). 

The raising of Timothy to life by his brother 
Nephi after he had been stoned to death, is another 
miraculous circumstance which is only casually men- 
tioned. Both these brothers were afterwards chosen 
by Jesus among the Twelve whom he selected as his 
disciples. The raising of the dead in the name of 
Christ manifested how great must have been the power 
with heaven possessed by this Nephi, as it was doubt- 
less by others of his family — notably his father — 
before the time of the ministration of the Savior to this 
people. 

The miracles that attended the ministry of the 
Savior on this land were, many of them, of the same 
character as the wondrous works he performed among 
the Jews; only frequently more marvelous and more 
glorious, on account of the greater faith of the 
Nephites. He healed the sick, cast out devils, raised 
the dead in Bountiful as he did in Judea and Galilee. 
But there were other manifestations that were some- 
what different; that, so far as the record goes, 



428 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



were entirely dissimilar. In the land of Jerusalem 
Jesns miraculously fed five thousand by increasing the 
store of loaves and fishes that had been provided; in 
Bountiful he administered the emblems of his body 
and blood when neither the disciples nor the multitude 
had brought either bread or wine. Angels ministered 
to men during his labors among the Jews ; they did so 
more abundantly during his visits to the Nephites. 
Again, though we are told in the Bible of the holy 
Redeemer blessing little children, we nowhere read 
therein of the glorious manifestations, the outpour- 
ing of the Spirit, the ministry of the angels, the 
baptism of fire that took place when the risen Re- 
deemer condescended to bless the little ones of the 
Nephites. 

Great were the wonders that attended the labors 
of the Three Nephite disciples who were to tarry on 
earth unto the end. Death had no power over them ; 
they passed through the most terrible ordeals unhurt. 
Swords would not slay them ; fire would not burn them ; 
savage beasts would not harm them ; prisons could not 
hold them ; chains could not bind them ; the grave could 
not entomb them; the earth would not conceal them. 
No matter how much they were abused or maltreated 
they triumphed over all their persecutors. 

The age in which the Three ministered was a pecu- 
liar one. Under ordinary circumstances the super- 
human powers shewn by them would have brought the 
wicked to repentance. But the happy age of peace 
and innocence that had followed the Savior's ministry 
was fast passing away ; the people were hardening their 
hearts ; they were relapsing into iniquity with their 
eyes open; they were sinning knowingly and under- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 429 

standingly. Angels from heaven would not have con- 
verted them; they had given themselves up to Satan, 
and every manifestation of the power of God in behalf 
of his servants only made them more angry, and more 
determined upon the destruction of those who sounded 
in their ears the unwelcome message of divine wrath. 
The hurricane might demolish the dungeon ; the earth- 
quake overthrow the walls of the prison; the earth 
refuse to close when the disciples were cast into it; 
these protests of nature simply caused their hardened 
hearts to conjure up fresh methods of torture and 
devise new means to destroy those whom they so 
intensely, and yet so unwarrantably, hated. But they 
ever failed ; the three Nephites still live. 

Of what change passed upon John, the Apostle, or 
how it was brought about that he should not taste of 
death, we are not told; but so far as the three Nephites 
are concerned we are informed they were caught up 
into heaven, and there experienced a change that is not 
explained ; and that they there saw and heard unspeak- 
able things. Mormon, writing about them, says : 

And now behold, as I spake concerning those 
whom the Lord had chosen, yea, even three who were 
caught up into the heavens, that I knew not whether 
they were cleansed from mortality to immortality. 

But behold, since I wrote, I have inquired of the 
Lord, and he hath made it manifest unto me, that there 
must needs be a change wrought upon their bodies, or 
else it needs be that they must taste of death; 

Therefore that they might not taste of death, there 
was a change wrought upon their bodies, that they 
might not suffer pain nor sorrow, save it were for the 
sins of the world. 



430 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Now this change was not equal to that which 
should take place at the last day; but there was a 
change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could 
have no power over them, that he could not tempt them, 
and they were sanctified in the flesh, that they were 
holy, and that the powers of the earth could not hold 
them ; 

And in this state they were to remain until the 
judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were to 
receive a greater change, and to be received into the 
kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell 
with God eternally in the heavens. 

In the Bible we read of two men who lived before 
the Savior's advent — Moses and Elijah — who did not 
taste of death ; we also read in the Book of Mormon of 
two — Alma and Nephi — who were translated. 



THE PROPHECIES REGARDING THE SAVIOR— THEIR COM- 
PLETENESS AND DETAIL, — NAMES AND TITLES GIVEN 
TO CHRIST. 

/^vNE OF the most noteworthy things connected with 



the ancient Nephite church was the great plain- 
ness and detail with which the incidents of the birth, 
life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ were under- 
stood and prophesied of by the servants of God who 



CHAPTER LXXV. 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



dwelt on the earth before he tabernacled in mortality. 
Among other things it was declared of him that: 

God himself should come down from heaven 
among the children of men and should redeem his 
people. 

He should take upon him flesh and blood. 

He should be born in the land of Jerusalem, the 
name given by the Nephites to the land of their fore- 
fathers, whence they came. 

His mother's name should be Mary. 

She should be a virgin of the city of Nazareth ; 
very fair and beautiful, a precious and chosen vessel. 

She should be overshadowed and conceive by the 
power of the Holy Ghost. 

He should be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

At his birth a new star should appear in the 
heavens. 

He should be baptized by John at Betharaba, be- 
yond Jordan. 

John should testify that he had baptized the Lamb 
of God, who should take away the sins of the world. 

After his baptism the Holy Ghost should come 
down upon him out of heaven, and abide upon him in 
the form of a dove. 

He should call twelve men as his special witnesses, 
to minister in his name. 

He should go forth among the people, minister- 
ing in power and great glory, casting out devils, heal- 
ing the sick, raising the dead, and performing many 
mighty miracles. 

He should take upon him the infirmities of his 
people. 

He should suffer temptation, pain of body, hunger, 



434 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

thirst and fatigue; blood should come from every pore 
of his body by reason of his anguish because of the 
abominations of his people. 

He should be cast out and rejected by the Jews; 
be taken and scourged, and be judged of the world. 

He should be lifted upon the cross and slain for 
the sins of the world. 

He should be buried in a sepulchre, where he 
should remain three days. 

After he was slain he should rise from the dead 
and should make himself manifest b}^ the Holy Ghost 
unto the Gentiles. 

He should lay down his life according to the flesh 
and take it up again by the power of the Spirit, that 
he might bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, 
being the first that should rise. 

At his resurrection many graves should be opened 
and should } T ield up their dead; and many of the saints, 
who had beforetime passed away, should appear unto 
the living. 

He should redeem all mankind who would believe 
on his name. 

In the above list we have not inserted those proph- 
ecies with regard to the Savior that related to this 
continent and were fulfilled hereon. These are referred 
to in their place in the historical portions of this work. 
Nor have we mentioned the sayings of Isaiah and 
other Jewish prophets, which are inserted in the Book 
of Mormon, but which also appear in the Bible. 

Among the names and titles given to Christ in 
the Book of Mormon are: Savior, Mediator, Messiah, 
Redeemer, Shepherd, Great and True Shepherd, Lamb, 
Lamb of God, Son of Righteousness, Son of the Eter- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF • MORMON. 



435 



nal Father, Only Begotten of the Father, Creator, The 
Eternal Father of Heaven and Earth, King, King of 
Heaven, Heavenly King, King of all the Earth, God 
of Israel, God of the whole Earth, Most High God, 
Lord Omnipotent, Lord God Omnipotent, Mighty God, 
Holy One, Holy One of Israel, Mighty One of Jacob, 
Wonderful Counsellor, Prince of Peace, and several 
others. 



NEPHITE APOSTATES— THE ORDER OF XEHOR — AMALEKPTES 
— AM ALICKI AHITES — AMULONITES — ABINADI'S PROPH- 
ECY—THE GADI ANIONS. 

^VTO PEOPLE seem to have been more given to apos- 



tasy from the truths of the gospel than were the 
Nephites in certain periods of their history. In the 
historical portions of this work we have drawn atten- 
tions to the defections of Nehor, Amlici, Korihor, 
Zoram and others ; therefore we need not go over that 
ground again. Yet there is one thing that stands out 
very prominently in the annals of all these backslid- 
ings. It is that the heresies of Nehor, the murderer of 
Gideon, were more or less adopted by succeeding false 
teachers, and that those who embraced his teachings 
and became associated therewith were always among 
the most bitter and vehement, the most bloodthirsty 
and hardened of all the enemies of the church of God. 
They are often spoken of as being after the order of 



CHAPTER LXXVI. 




43^ 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Nehor; and we imagine to belong to that order required 
the Nephite to conform to certain unholy covenants and 
make certain vicious and immoral oaths. Many, if not 
all, of the Amlicites, Amalekites, Amulonites, Ammon- 
ihahites and Zoramites belonged to this iniquitous 
order. 

Of the apostate sects, of whom we have previously 
said but little, the most prominent were the Amulonites 
and Amalekites. 

Amalekites : A seel: of Nephite apostates whose 
origin is not given. Many of them were after the order 
of Nehor. Very early in the days of the republic 
they had affiliated with the Lamanites and with them 
built a large city, not far from the waters of Mormon, 
which they called Jerusalem. They were exceedingly 
crafty and hardhearted; and in all the ministrations of 
the sons of Mosiah among them only one was con- 
verted. They led in the massacres of the Christian 
Lamanites or people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi ; and in later 
years the Lamanite generals were in the habit of plac- 
ing them in high command in their armies because of 
their greater force of character than the real descend- 
ants of Laman, their intense hatred to their former 
brethren, and their more wicked and murderous disposi- 
tion. In the sacred record they are generally associated 
with the Zoramites and Amulonites. 

AmalickiahiTES : The followers of Amalickiah 
in his efforts to destroy the church, to uproot the 
Nephite commonwealth and establish a monarchy in its 
stead. Their leader, finding that they were not as 
numerous as those who wished to maintain the repub- 
lic and that many of them doubted the justness of 
their cause, led those who would follow him towards 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



437 



the land of Nephi, with the intention of joining the 
Laraanites. Moroni, the general of the Nephites, by 
rapid marches, reached the wilderness, where he inter- 
cepted them in their flight, when Amalickiah and a few 
others escaped to the Lamanites, while the great major- 
ity were taken prisoners and carried back to Zarahemla. 
The Amalickiahites were then given the opportunity to 
make covenant to sustain the cause of liberty or be 
put to death. There were but very few who denied the 
covenant of freedom. 

Amueonites: The descendants of Amulon and 
his associates, the corrupt priests of king Noah. They 
were Nephites on their fathers' side and Lamanites on 
their mothers', but by association and education were of 
the latter race. Many of them however were displeased 
with the conduct of their fathers, and took upon them 
the name of Nephites, and were considered among that 
people ever after. Of those who remained Amulon- 
ites, many became followers of Nehor, and were scat- 
tered in the lands of Amulon, Helam and Jerusalem, 
all of which appear to have been limited districts in 
the same region of country. In latter years the sons 
of Mosiah and their fellow-missionaries preached to 
them, but not one repented and received the gospel 
message; to the contrary, they became leaders in the 
persecutions carried on against the suffering people of 
Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and were those who, with the Amal- 
ekites, slew the greater number of that unoffend- 
ing people who suffered martrydom. In the suc- 
ceeding war with the Nephites (B. C. 81), when 
Ammonihah was destroyed, nearly all the Amulonites 
were killed in the battle in which Zoram, the Nephite 
general, defeated the Lamanites. The remainder of 



438 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



the Amulonites fled into the east wilderness, where they 
usurped power over the people of Laman, and in their 
bitter hatred to the truth caused many of the latter to 
be burned to death because of their belief in the gos- 
pel. These outrages aroused the Lamanites and they 
in turn began to hunt the Amulonites and to put them 
to death. This was in fulfilment of the words of 
Abinadi, who, as he suffered martrydom by fire at the 
hands of Amulon and his associates, told them, What 
ye shall do unto me, shall be a type of things to come, 
by which he meant that man)' should suffer death by 
fire as he had suffered. 

And he said unto the priests of Noah, that their 
seed should cause many to be put to death, in the like 
manner as he was, and that they should be scattered 
abroad and slain, even as a sheep having no shepherd 
is driven and slain by wild beasts; and now behold, 
these words were verified, for they were driven by the 
Lamanites, and they were hunted, and they were 
smitten. 

Gadiaxtoxs: Of all the factions that separated 
themselves from the Nephites none worked so much 
injury to that people as did the bands of Gadianton 
robbers. The very fact of their organization shews 
the deplorable condition of Nephite society, while their 
continuance and growth proclaims yet more loudly and 
emphatically how debased the community had become. 

The Gadiantons were at first (B. C. 52) apparently 
a band of robbers and murderers bound together bv 
the most horrible oaths of secrecy and satanic coven- 
ants to aid and shield each other in whatever sins and 
iniquities they might commit. These covenants did 
not originate with Gadianton or any of this crew. The)- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



439 



were as old as the .days of Cain, into whose ear the 
Son of Perdition whispered these bloodthirsty and 
infernal suggestions. These same secret societies 
flourished among the Antediluvians; and had place 
with the Jaredites and other peoples of antiquity. In 
the end they invaribly wrought ruin and destruction 
wherever they found a foothold. To their abominations 
can be traced the fall and extinction of both the 
Jaredite and Nephite races. 

As time went on, the Gadiantons among the 
Nephites aspired to rule the republic. When, by their 
combinations, the}^ could not carry their points at the 
elections, they would murder, or attempt to murder, any 
judge or other officer who was distasteful to them, and 
place a more acceptable man in his seat. So fell more 
than one of the Nephite chief judges. But they fre- 
quently had no need to do this, for as the people 
increased in iniquity they could easily carry the major- 
ity or the voice of the people with them. In this way 
several of their number were elected to the chief judge- 
ship. 

After the times of the conversion of the Laman- 
ites by Lehi and Nephi (B. C. 30) the Gadianton rob- 
bers took their place in the history of ancient America. 
The divisions then became the righteous Nephites and 
Lamanites on one side, and the Gadiantons on the other. 
And, strange as it may appear, these robber bands 
received greater encouragement and attained to greater 
power among the Nephites than among the Lamanites ; 
but the fact is, that at that era the Lamanites were a 
growing race, while the Nephites were a decaying one. 

Many wars ensued between these two divisions, 
ending sometimes in the temporary suppression of the 



440 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



robbers, as in the year B. C. 17. But they soon reap- 
peared, as they did five years after the instance here 
mentioned (B. C. 12). The most momentous of all 
these wars was the one that was waged during the 
earthly life of our Savior. It virtually commenced in 
the second year of his mortal existence and continued 
with slight intermissions until the twenty-first. So 
powerful and arrogant had the robbers grown in that 
age that Giddianhi their leader, in A. C. 16, wrote an 
epistle to Lachoneus, the chief judge, calling upon the 
Nephites to submit themselves to the robbers and their 
ways ; to accept their oaths and covenants ; and in all 
things become like unto them. The presumption of 
the robber chief does not appear to have been without 
foundation, for so desperate had the condition of the 
people become that Lachoneus devised and carried out 
the stupendous movement of gathering them all, both 
Nephites and Lamanites, to one land, where they would 
be safe by consolidation, and be able to wear out the rob- 
bers by masterly inactivity. In this he succeeded, and 
the robber bands were destroyed by privation, famine 
and the sword. 

After the days of Jesus the Gadiantons again 
appeared when iniquity began to prevail ; and by the 
year A. C. 300 the}* had spread over all the land. To 
their baneful influence may be attributed many of the 
atrocities and abominations that disgraced the last 
wars between the Nephites and Lamanites. 

At certain periods of their history the Jaredites, 
Lamanites and Nephites were all idolaters. The 
Lamanites, as early as the days of Enos, are repre- 
sented as bowing down to idols. This statement is 
repeated with regard to those of the times of Zeniff 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 44 1 

and Qf Amnion. The Nephites are sometimes called 
an idolatrous people, when the inference seems to be 
that they worshiped their gold and silver and the vain 
things of this world. On the other hand, it appears 
that some of them were actual worshipers of idols. 
Such a charge is plainly made against the Zoramites 
in the land of Antionum ; and we are of the opinion 
that they were not the only ones. 

In later times, during the final series of wars 
between the Nephites and Lamanites, the latter were 
idolaters, and had descended so far in savagery as to 
offer human sacrifices. They were in the habit of offer- 
ing up in this way the Nephite women and children 
they captured in war. Special mention is made of this 
fact at the taking of the cities of Desolation and Boaz. 

Still more horrible was the fate of some of the 
Lamanite women who fell into the hands of the Ne- 
phites; and it would seem that before the war was 
finished both peoples had sunk to the degradation of 
eating human flesh. Well might the prophet say : 
There never had been so great wickedness among all 
the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of 
Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as were 
among this people. 



CHAPTER LXXVIL 



CHURCH DISCIPLINE AMONG THE NEPHITES— TREATMENT 
OF THE UNREPENTANT— THE WORD OF THE LORD RE- 
GARDING TRANSGRESSORS— THE TESTIMONY OF MORONI. 

A S IN other things, the methods adopted in the 
Nephite Chnrch in the treatment of those who 
turned from righteousness were identical with those 
pursued in such cases in the Church of God in other 
lands and in other ages. The erring ones were first 
labored with by the officers of the church in the spirit 
of love and reconciliation; they were visited by the 
Priests and Teachers ; and if they repented they were 
continued in the fellowship of the Saints ; but if they • 
were obdurate and impenitent they were severed from 
}he communion of the church. This course was pur- 
sued throughout their history from the days of Alma, 
the elder, to those of Moroni. 

In the land of Zarahemla, when Mosiah was king 
and Alma was high priest, there was much hard-heart, 
edness and evil doing in the midst of the Nephites. It 
may be remembered it was at this time that the sons of 
Mosiah, and the younger Alma, were leaders among 
those who were opposing the church and persecuting 
its members. The iniquity that existed with those who 
had made covenant with God, or were their children, 
caused Alma much pain and anxiety. The Priests 
and Teachers labored frequently in vain, and the 
presiding priesthood were in doubt with regard to the 
best course to pursue with the wicked. They had no 
precedents to guide them, for such a state of things 
had never before existed among the Nephites. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



443 



Alma applied to the king, but he refused to judge 
the offenders. He would not meddle in matters of 
church discipline, that he left to Alma; and to him he 
returned those who had transgressed the law of the 
Lord. In this dilemma Alma appealed with all his 
heart to the Lord, and inquired what he should do in 
the matter: for he was most desirous to do right in the 
sight of heaven. Then the voice of the Lord came to 
him saying: 

Because thou hast inquired of me, concerning the 
transgressor, thou art blessed. 

Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee, 
that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve 
me, and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together 
my sheep. 

And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; 
and him ye shall receive into the church, and him will 
I also receive. 

For behold, this is my church; whosoever is bap- 
tized, shall be baptized unto repentance. And whoso- 
ever ye receive shall believe in my name ; and him will 
I freely forgive. 

For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the 
world; for it is I that hath created them; and it io I that 
granteth unto him that believeth unto the end, a place 
at my right hand. 

For behold, in my name are they called; and if 
they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a 
place eternally at my right hand. 

And it shall come to pass that when the second 
trump shall sound, then shall they that never knew me 
come forth and shall stand before me ; 

And then shall they know that I am the Lord 



444 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would 
not be redeemed. 

And then will I confess unto them that I never 
knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire, 
prepared for the devil and his angels. 

Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not 
hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my 
church, for him I will "not receive at the last day; 

Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever 
transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according 
to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess 
his sins before thee and me , and repenteth in the sin- 
cerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will for- 
give him also ; 

Yea, and as often as my people repent, will I for- 
give them their trespasses against me. 

And ye shall also forgive one another your tres- 
passes; for verily I say unto you, He that forgiveth not 
his neighbor's trespasses, when he says that he repents, 
the same hath brought himself under condemnation. 

Now I say unto you, Go ; and whosoever will not 
repent of his sins, the same shall not be numbered 
among my people ; and this shall be observed from this 
time forward. 

The sacred historian continues : 

And it came to pass when Alma had heard these 
words, he wrote them down that he might have them, 
and that he might judge the people of that church, 
according to the commandments of God. 

And it came to pass that Alma went and judged 
those that had been taken in iniquity, according to the 
word of the Lord. 

And whosoever repented of their sins and did con- 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 445 

fess them, them he did number among the people of the 
church ; 

And those that would not confess their sins and 
repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered 
among the people of the church, and their names were 
blotted out. 

In this revelation we have the word of the Lord 
to guide the Nephite Church throughout all its dispen- 
sations. 

The same spirit is manifested in the instructions 
given by the Redeemer in his teachings to the 
Nephites.* They are full of love, mercy and patience. 
On the other hand, they shew that the Church of God 
must not be defiled by countenancing iniquity or per- 
mitting that which is holy to be handled by the 
unworthy. Nearly four hundred years later, Moroni, 
speaking on church government says : 

And they were strict to observe that there should 
be no iniquity among them ; and whoso was found to 
commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did 
condemn them before the Elders; and if they repented 
not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, 
and they were not numbered among the people of 
Christ ; 

But as oft as they repented, and sought forgive- 
ness, with real intent, they were forgiven. 

From these quotations we perceive that the spirit 
of the ancient church on this continent, with regard to 
offenses and offenders, was uniform in all its dispensa- 
tions and identical in its methods with those of the lat- 
ter days. 



* See Chapter xlix. 



CHAPTER LXXVIII. 



THE DISCOVERY OF THE JAREDITE RECORDS — CORIANTUMR 
— ETHER — THE DISPERSION AT BABEL— THE JOURNEY 
OF THE J AREDITES — ATLANTIS. 

T ET US return to the year 123 B. C. At that time 



^ the Nephites in the land of Nephi were suffering 
sore afflictions at the hands of the Lamanites. In this 
extremity Lirnhi, their king, sent a company of forty- 
three men, with instructions to discover, if possible, 
their brethren in the land of Zarahemla, that perad- 
venture they would bring them' succor and deliverance. 
The expedition was unsuccessful, so far as its inimedi- 
diate object was concerned. The company missed the 
land of Zarahemla, pushed northward into Central 
America, and how far beyond we cannot tell. At last 
they discovered the remains of an ancient people who 
had apparently been destroyed in battle. Among other 
things they found twenty-four plates of gold, covered 
with engravings. This treasure, with some other relics 
of the vanished race, they took back to king Limhi. 

When, shortly after, this section of the Nephite 
people escaped from their Lamanite taskmasters and 
returned to Zarahemla, the twenty-four golden plates 




STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



447 




THE TOWER OF BABEE. 



were presented to king Mosiah, the younger, and he 
being a seer, translated them by the aid of the Urim 
and Thnmmim, or, as described in the Book of Mor- 
mon, the interpreters, or "two stones which were 
fastened into the two rims of a bow." 

These plates were found to contain the history of 
the world from the creation to the time of the building 



44S STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



of the Tower of Babel, and of the race whose remains 
had been found by the people of Limhi scattered on 
the land northward. 

This was, however, not the first intimation that 
the Xephites had of the existence of this extinct 
people; for in the days of the elder Mosiah a large 
engraved stone was brought to him that had been dis- 
covered by the people of Zarahemla. It gave a very 
brief account, of this same race, but more particularly 
referred to its last ruler, named Coriantumr; which 
Coriantumr had himself been known to the Zarahemla- 
ites; for he had, previous to his death, resided in their 
midst for nine months. This race is known to the 
readers of the Book of Mormon as the Jaredites. 

The history that Ave have of this remarkable peo- 
ple, as given in the Book of Mormon, is Moroni's abridg- 
ment of the record contained on the twenty-four plates 
of gold. It entirely passes over the earlier portions of 
the history, and commences with the dispersion of 
the human family, when God confounded their lan- 
guage at the Tower of Babel. Interspersed with the 
narrative are niany interpolations of Moroni's, in the 
shape of reflections, prophecies and explanatory re- 
marks. As these additions or notes by the compiler 
are inserted in the body of the work, and not as foot 
notes, the reader of this abridgment has to use care in 
its perusal, or his ideas are apt to become confused; and 
he is troubled to account for statements which become 
perfectly plain when it is understood the}' were written 
nearly four hundred years after the advent of the Holy 
Savior. 

The history of the Jaredites is called the Book of 
Ether, because the twenty-four plates from which it is 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 449 



taken were hidden by a Jaredite prophet named Ether, 
in the place where they were afterwards discovered by 
the people of king Limhi. 

The ancestors of the Jaredites were engaged in 
the attempt to bnild the Tower of Babel. It is proba- 
ble they were of the family of Shem, as they were 
worshipers of the trne God, and he conferred npon 
them his priesthood. How far they had wandered from 
the tower, if at all, when the Lord commenced the 
revelation of his will to them, is not apparent from the 
sacred text. They were commanded by him to go 
" down into the valley which is northward," and as the 
expressions np and down, when the\ r occur in the Book 
of Mormon in connection with geographical locality, 
are always used with great exactitude, we may venture 
two surmises: that Jared and his friends had already 
wandered into some not far distant hilly region, or that 
the valley into which they were commanded to descend 
sloped towards the north, the flow of its waters, if any, 
being in that direction. In the days of the Nephites, 
the expression down is always used for north when 
referring to the places in and about the valley of the 
river Sidon, which empties into the Caribbean Sea. 

The valley into which the Lord led the Jaredites 
was called Nimrod, after that mighty hunter of the 
early post-diluvian age. Here the people of Jared 
tarried for a time, while they prepared for the long 
journey which was before them. Their flocks and 
herds they had with them ; they now went to work and 
snared fowls; they carried with them hives of honey 
bees (known to them by the name of Deseret); and 
prepared a vessel in which they transported the fish of 
the waters. Everything that could possibly be of use 



45° STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

to them they appear to have collected. They were 
going to a land that had been swept clean by the 
waters of the Delnge; it had been bereft of all its 
animal life; the seeds of grains and frnits no longer 
germinated in its soil ; and the colony had to replenish 
the continent Avith the animal and vegetable life, neces- 
sary for their comfort and sustenance, as though it was 
a new earth. 

When in the valley of Nimrod the Lord came 
down and talked with the brother of Jared. But the 
brother of Jared saw him not, for the Lord remained con- 
cealed in a cloud. And God directed that the company 
should go forth into the wilderness, into that quarter 
where man had never yet been. As they journeyed the 
Heavenly Presence went before them in the cloud 
and instructed them and gave directions which way 
they should travel. In the course of their journe}^ 
they had many waters — seas, rivers, and lakes, to cross, 
on which occasions they built barges, as directed by the 
Lord. It must have been an arduous labor, requiring 
much time and great patience to transport their flocks 
and herds, with all the rest of their cumberous freight 
across these man}^ waters. 

We shall not attempt to trace the wanderings of 
the company on their way to the promised land. The 
account given in the of Book of Ether is entirely too 
meagre for that purpose. 

Some suppose they went as far north as the 
Caspian Sea, which they crossed; then turning east- 
ward slowly journeyed along the great central Asian 
plateau; thence to the Pacific seaboard, most probably 
on the coast of China. These suppositions may be 
correct; the writer does not know enough to either 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



affirm or deny them; but one thing is certain, the 
journey must have been a very long and tedious one, 
encumbered as the company was, with the flocks, 
etc., which they took with them to stock the land to 
which God was leading them. The region through 
which they passed was one in which no man dwelt, they 
could purchase no supplies, and if they did not live 
entirely on wild fruit, fish and small game, it is proba- 
ble that they tarried now and again, at favorable points, 
long enough to plant and reap a crop. As they ad- 
vanced to a great distance from the centre of population 
in western Asia it is possible that they traveled beyond 
the limits to which the larger animals had, by that 
time, scattered; and if so, they were entirely without 
the aid of the food obtained by the chase; on the 
other hand, it is probable that the fish in the lakes and 
rivers formed a valuable source of food supply; yet it 
must also be remembered the}- carried fish in a vessel 
with them. According to the generally accepted chro- 
nology, which may be right or ma}- be wrong, the build- 
ing of Babel commenced a little over a hundred years 
after the Deluge. 

Through their prayers and faith the founders of 
the Jaredite nation obtained many precious promises of 
the Lord. Among these was the assurance that their 
language should not be confounded, and that the Lord 
himself would go before them and lead them into a 
land choice above every other land. And again, than 
the nation that they should found there should be none 
greater upon all the face of the earth. The history of 
their descendants proves how fully this last promise 
was realized. The cotemporary nations on the eastern 
continent — Egypt, Chaldea and Babylonia — were insig- 



452 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



nificant when compared with the vast extent of terri- 
tory held and filled by the Jaredites ; they were the 
sole rulers of the whole western hemisphere, and 
possibly the originals, whence arose the stories of the 
greatness and grandeur of the fabled Atlantis ; for we 
have no account in the sacred records that God shut 
them out from the knowledge of the rest of mankind 
when he planted them in America, as he afterwards did 
the Nephites ; and late research has shown that the 
geographical knowledge of the ancients was much 
greater in the earlier ages than at the time of the 
Savior and a few hundred years previous to his advent. 



CHAPTER LXXIX. 

MORIANCUMER — BUILDING THE BARGES— THE FINGER OF 
THE LORD — THE APPEARING OF THE SAVIOR — THE 
VOYAGE. 

T ED BY the Lord personally, instructed by his own 
^ mouth, protected by his presence, the colon} T , of 
which Jared's brother appears to have been the prophet 
and leader, at last reached the borders of the great sea 
which divides the continents. To the place where they 
tarried they gave the name of Moriancumer. Here they 
remained for a period of four years, at the end of which 
time the Lord again visited the brother of Jared in a 
cloud and chastened him and his brethren, because of 
their neglect to call upon his name. Repentance fol- 
lowed this reproof, and on their repentance their sins 
were forgiven them. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 453 

The brother of Jared was then commanded by 
the Lord to build eight barges, after the same pattern 
as those he had previously constructed. This com- 
mand he obeyed with the assistance of the company. 
The vessels were small, light in construction and water 
tight. As they were dark in the interior, by reason of 
being without windows, the Lord, at the entreaty of the 
brother of Jared, touched sixteen small white stones, 
which the latter had moulten out of a high mountain 
called Shelem ; and after the Lord touched them they 
shone forth and gave light to the vessels in which they 
were placed. When the Lord put forth His finger to 
touch these stones, the veil was taken from the eyes of 
the brother of Jared and he saw the finger of the Lord ; 
and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and 
blood. Then the brother of Jared fell down before the 
Lord, for he was struck with fear. What followed is 
related by Moroni as follows : ' 

And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had 
fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him, Arise, 
why hast thou fallen? 

And he saith unto the Lord, I saw the finger of the 
Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me ; for I knew 
not that the Lord had flesh and blood. 

And the Lord said unto him, Because of thy faith 
thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and 
blood; and never has man come before me with such 
exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so, ye 
could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than 
this? 

And he answered, Nay, Lord, shew thyself unto me. 
And the Lord said unto him, Believest thou the 
words which I shall speak? 



454 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



And he answered, Yea, Lord, I know that thou 
speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and 
canst not lie. 

And when he had said these words, behold, the 
Lord shewed himself unto hirn, and said, Because thou 
knowest these things, ye are redeemed from the Fall; 
therefore ye are brought back into my presence; there- 
fore I shew myself unto you. 

Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foun- 
dation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am 
Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me 
shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even 
they who shall believe on my name; and they shall 
become my sons and my daughters. 

And never have I shewed myself unto man whom 
I have created, for never has man believed in me as 
thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine 
own image? Yea, even all men were created in the 
beginning, after mine own image. 

Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the 
body of my spirit; and man have I created after the 
body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to 
be in the spirit, will I appear unto my people in the flesh. 

All things being prepared, Jared and his people, 
with their animals, fishes, bees, seeds and multitudi- 
nous other things, went on board; a favorable wind 
wafted them from shore, and they gradually drifted to 
the American coast. At the end of a voyage of three 
hundred and forty-four days the colony landed on this 
continent. It is generally understood that the place 
where they landed was south of the Gulf of California 
and north of the land Desolation, which was north of 
the isthmus of Panama. 




APPEARANCE OF CHRIST TO THE BROTHER OF J A RED. 



CHAPTER LXXX. 



THE LAND OF PROMISE — A MONARCHY ESTABLISHED — THE 
KINGS OF THE JAREDITES FROM ORIHAH TO OMER— 
AKISH— THE DAUGHTER OF JARED. 

YT7HEN the members of the little colony set their 



feet upon the shores of America, they bowed 
themselves down upon the face of the land, and did 
humble themselves before the Lord; and did shed tears 
of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of 
his tender mercies over them. Then they went forth 
and began to till the earth, and soon grew strong 
in the land, being a righteous people, taught directly 
from on high. 

Before long the question of government arose, and 
the people desired a king. This thing was grievous to 
their divinely inspired leaders, for they saw that it 
would lead to captivity ; but perceiving the determina- 
tion of the people, they consented. It was difficult, to 
find any suitable man who would consent to occupy 
the royal position ; at last the youngest son of Jared, 
named Orihah, consented, and he was anointed king. 

It appears altogether probable that this choice was 
taken as a precedent, for among this people there seems 
to have prevailed a custom entirely opposite to that 
of most other nations — that of having one of the 
younger, generally the very youngest son, instead of 
the eldest, succeed his father on the throne. As the 
Jaredites were a very long-lived race, full of vitality, 
often having sons born to them to the end of their days, 
the number of generations mentioned during the 




28 



453 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



period embraced in their history is much fewer than 
the general average for the same number of centuries, 
notably so where the eldest son succeeds to the rank 
and title of his sire. 

But we cannot be certain that we have every gen- 
eration specified; for in the Book of Ether, as in many 
other very ancient records, the words son and descend- 
ant are used interchangeably, that is to say, all male 
descendants for several generations are sometimes 
called sons, while actual sons are occasionally desig- 
nated by the more ambiguous title of descendants. 

According to the Book of Ether there were thirty 
generations from Jared to Ether (both included), if we 
have the ancestral chain without any breaks. The 
period covered by these thirty generations is probably 
seventeen hundred years, or thereabout. This would 
give a little less than fifty-seven years for each genera- 
tion, an unusually lengthened period. Between 1066, 
when William the Conqueror invaded England, and 
1837, the date of the ascension of Queen Victoria, 
thirty-four monarchs ruled that realm, or an average 
of between twenty-two and twenty-three years. What 
a great difference between the longevity of the Jared- 
ites and of the English? 

The kings of the Jaredites, in the order of their 
succession, were Orihah, Kib, Corihor, Kib restored, 
Shule. In the days of Shule the kingdom was divided 
in twain, Noah, the son of Corihor, establishing a sep- 
arate monarch}^ over a portion of the land. After his 
death he was succeeded by his son Cohor, who was 
slain in battle by Shule, when the whole kingdom 
again returned to its allegiance to the last named. 

Shule was succeeded by his son Omer, who was 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



459 



deposed and imprisoned by his son Jared, bnt two other 
sons afterwards defeated Jared and restored the king- 
dom to their father. In this civil war between Omer 
and his son Jared, when the latter had been defeated 
by his brothers, they only spared his life on condition 
that he recognize the right of his father to the throne. 

Jared became very sorrowful at his defeat, as he 
had set his heart upon being king. While in this 
state of mind, his daughter, who was exceeding^ fair, 
came to him, and, learning the cause of his discontent, 
made a most extraordinary and villainous proposition 
to him, which shewed she was as conscienceless as her 
father. It was that he should invite a friend, named 
Akish, to visit him; when he came she would dance 
before him and use her charms to captivate his heart. 
If her plan succeeded and Akish desired her to wife, 
Jared was to grant his request on condition that Akish 
brought him the head of his father Omer. To enable 
him to accomplish this, the daughter of Jared reminded 
her father of the signs and covenants of the ancients, 
whereby they entered into compact, one with another, 
for mutual aid and protection in carrying out any great 
wickedness the}^ might desire to commit. 

Her plan was accepted and proved in every way a 
success. After the manner she suggested, Akish gath- 
ered his kinsfolks, and persuaded them to swear, with 
terrible oaths, that they would be faithful to him in all 
that he might require of them. By these wicked 
combinations the kingdom of Omer was overthrown. 
But he, being warned of the Lord, escaped to a distant 
land called Ablon. Then Jared was anointed king, 
and he gave his daughter to Akish for a wife. 

But Akish was not satisfied; he plotted with his 



460 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

associates, and they slew Jared, as lie sat on the 
throne, and Akish reigned in his stead. Bnt after 
committing these crimes, he became suspicious of his 
partners in sin, and grew jealous of one of his own 
sons, whom he shut up in prison and starved to death. 
Before long other sons of Akish seduced the people 
from their allegiance to their father, a civil war of the 
utmost magnitude ensued, which ceased not until all 
the people were slain, except thirty and those who had 
fled to Omer in the land of Ablon. After this, Omer 
returned and reigned over the few souls that remained. 



CHAPTER LXXXI. 

THE KINGS OF THE JAREDITES FROM OMER TO CORIAN- 
TUMR— THE MATERIAL PROSPERITY OF THIS RACE. 

^^MER was succeeded by his son Emer; he by his son 
Coriantumr ; Coriantumr by his son Com. Com 
was slain hy his son Heth, who took possession of 
the kingdom after having murdered his father. 

In the days of Heth there was a great famine 
which destroyed the greater portion of the people, 
among them the king himself. He was succeeded by 
Shez, Shez by his son Riplakish, who was dethroned 
b\ Morianton, whose son Kim afterwards followed him 
in the kingly power. Kim was brought into captivity, 
through rebellion, and it was not until the next reign, 
that of his son Levi, that the usurpers were driven 
from the throne. Then follow the reigns of Corom, 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 46 1 



Kish, Lib and Hearthom. The last named was deposed 
after reigning twenty-four years, and was held in 
captivity all the remainder of his days. So also were 
his son Heth, his grandson Aaron, his great grandson 
Amnigaddah, and the latter's son Coriantum. 

We are not informed what were the names of the 
kings of the usurping dynasty, who reigned while the 
royal family served in captivity; but in the days of 
Corian turn's son Com, the reigning prince was named 
Amgid. Com went to war against him, overthrew 
him, and gained possession of the throne of his ances- 
tors. Shiblon, the son of Com, succeeded his father, 
but was slain, his son Heth being made captive and 
thus held all his days. 

In the next generation Ahah, Heth's son, regained 
the throne and reigned over the whole people for a short 
time. Few and iniquitous were his days. Ethem, 
called a descendant, and also the son of Ahah, was the 
next king. His son Moron suceeeded him; in his days 
there were renewed rebellions, which ended, as had 
been so frequently the case before, in the captivity of 
the king. Moron was a captive all the rest of his life, 
and his son Coriantor passed his whole earthly exist- 
ence in captivity. 

Ether, the prophet, was the son of Coriantor. The 
king in his day was named Coriantumr, the last of his 
race, for the wars that desolated the land in his reign 
culminated in the destruction of the Jaredites. This 
very short sketch of the reigns of their kings shows 
how thoroughly were the fears of Jared and his 
brother realized, that the anointing of a king would 
lead to captivity. 

Like their successors, the Nephites, the troubles 



462 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

of the Jaredites grew out of their iniquities. Many 
mighty prophets ministered to them, but they were 
only occasionally listened to. Like the Nephites, in 
another phase of their existence, they owed many of 
their misfortunes to cherishing the secret bands of 
Gadianton-like assassins, who, bound by infernal cove- 
nants, perpetrated the most unnatural and bloodthirsty 
crimes. In the days of Omer, the daughter of Jared 
(who in more than one respect reminds us of the 
daughter of Herodias) was the instrument in first 
introducing these soul-destroying confederacies with 
Satan among the Jaredites ; and in after ages they dwin- 
dled or flourished, according to the amount of faith and 
faithfulness in the people. 

Materially the Jaredites were wonderfully blessed. 
It could scarcely have been otherwise; they had all the 
treasures of this most choice land at their disposal. In 
the days of Emer, the inspired historian describes 
them as having become exceeding rich, having all 
manner of fruit, and of grain ; and of silks, and of fine 
linen; and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; 
and also all manner of cattle, of oxen and cows, and 
of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many 
other kinds of animals which were useful for the food 
of man; and they also had horses, and asses, and there 
were elephants and cureloms and cumoms ; all of which 
were useful unto man, and more especially the ele- 
phants, and cureloms and cumoms.* And thus the 
Lord did pour out his blessings upon the land. 



*Some suppose the cureloms and cumoms were alpacas and llamas, 
others that they were mammoths, the bones of which creatures, as well as 
those of the elephant, having been found on this continent 




PROPHETS PREACHING TO THE JAREDITES. 



CHAPTER LXXXIL 



THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ON THE J AREDITES — THE EXTINC- 
TION OF THE RACE — THE HILL RAMAH — SHIZ AND 
CORIANTUM R— ETHER. 

^"^WING to their gross and abounding iniquities, the 
Lord on several occasions visited them with par- 
tial destruction. These judgments came in the shape 
of fratricidal war, pestilence, drought and famine. In 
the days of Heth, who was possibly a contemporary of 
Solomon or David, there was a great dearth in the 
land, through which the inhabitants were destroyed 
exceedingly fast, while poisonous serpents came forth 
" and did poison man}^ people." These serpents drove 
the flocks and herds south, and then congregating at 
the narrow neck uniting the two great divisions of the 
land, hedged up the way so that the people could not 
pass, thus adding another factor to their misery, for 
their crops were not only destroyed through the lack 
of rain, but the resource of animal food was taken 
from them. Thus they became a broken people, but 
when through their miseries they had sufficiently 
humbled themselves before the Lord, he sent the long 
desired rain, and there began to be fruit in the north 
countries and in all the countries round about. Other 
desolations at various times came upon them because 
of their defiant disobedience to the behests of Heaven. 

The war which ended in the entire destruction of 
the Jaredite race was one of the most bloodthirsty, cruel 
and vindictive that ever cursed this fair planet. Men's 



466 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



most savage passions were worked up to such an extent 
that every better feeling of humanity was crushed out. 
The women and children armed themselves for the fray 
with the same, fiendish activity, and fought with the 
same intense hate, as the men. It was not a conflict of 
armies alone ; it was the crushing together of a divided 
house that had long tottered because of internal weak- 
ness, but now fell in upon itself. 

This war was not the work of a day ; it was the 
outgrowth of centuries of dishonor, crime and iniquity. 
And as this continent was once cleansed of its un- 
righteous inhabitants by the overwhelming waters of 
a universal Deluge, and only eight souls left, so this 
second time, as a flood, though the promises of the 
Lord to Noah, was no longer possible, instead thereof 
the wicked slew the wicked until only two men 
remained, the king and the historian , the one to wan- 
der wounded, wretched and alone, until found by 
Mulek's colony: the other to record the last dreadful 
throes of his people for the profit of succeeding races, 
and then to be received into the loving care of his 
Father and his God. Both the Nephites and ourselves 
are indebted to him for our acquaintance with the 
earlier history of this continent, which otherwise 
would have been entirely shut out from our knowledge. 

Some four or more years before the final battles 
around and near the hill Ram ah, otherwise Cumorah, 
two millions of warriors had been slain, besides their 
wives and children. How many millions actually fell 
before the last terrible struggle ended, and Coriantumr 
stood alone the sole representative of his race, it is 
impossible to tell from the record that has been handed 
down to us, but we think we are justified in believing 



ETHER FINISHING HIS RECORD. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 469 



that for bloodshed and desolation no snch war ever 
took place before, or has occurred since in the history 
of this world; if the annals of any nation have the 
record of its equal, it is not known to us. 

The duel between the leaders of the two contend- 
ing hosts, when their followers were all slain, was a 
unique and horrible one. We will let the historian tell 
the story in his own words : 

And it came to pass that they fought for the space 
of three hours, and they fainted with the loss of blood. 
And it came to pass that when the men of Coriantumr 
had received sufficient strength that they could walk, 
they were about to flee for their lives, but behold, Shiz 
arose, and also his men, and he swore in his wrath that 
he would slay Coriantumr, or he would perish by the 
sword; wherefore he did pursue them, and on the mor 
row he did overtake them; and they fought again with 
the sword. 

And it came to pass that when they had all fallen 
by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz, behold 
Shiz had fainted with loss of blood. And it came to 
pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, 
that he rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz. 
And it came it pass that after he had smote off the 
head of Shiz, that Shiz raised upon his hands and fell ; 
and after that he had struggled for breath, he died. 
And it came to pass that Coriantumr fell to the 
earth, and became as if he had no life. 

Coriantumr, when he regained consciousness, wan- 
dered forth, aimlessly and alone, the last of his race. 
A whole continent lay round about him, but there 
was nothing, in any place, to invite him either to 
tarry or depart. Companions he had none; every 



470 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

creature in the image of God, save himself, had moist- 
ened the soil with his life's blood. All had been swept 
into unsancldfied graves or poisoned the air with their 
nnbnried bodies. The savage beasts alone remained 
to terrify him with their hideous calls as they held high 
carnival over the unnumbered slain. Weak from loss 
of blood, he staggered on, placing as great a distance 
as his failing powers would permit between himself 
and the horrors of the last battle ground. He passed 
onward through each deserted valley, each tenantless 
town ; in neither was there any human voice to greet or 
chide him; the homes of his own people and those of 
his enemies were alike — a silent desolation; all the 
land was a wilderness. 

How long he thus wandered to and fro, wretched, 
comfortless and forlorn, we know not; but at last he 
reached the southern portion of the northern continent, 
thousands of miles from Ramah. and there, to the great 
astonishment of both, he found the people of Mulek. 
who had been led by the hand of the Lord from Jeru- 
salem. With them he spent his few remaining days, 
and when nine moons had grown and waned he passed 
away to join the hosts of his people in the unknown 
world of spirits. 

All this was in fulfilment of the prophecies of 
Ether, who, years before, had been sent by the Lord to 
Coriantumr with the fateful message that if he 
and all his household would repent, the Lord would 
give unto him his kingdom, and spare the people; 
otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his house- 
hold, save it were himself, and he should only live to 
see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been 
spoken concerning another people receiving the land 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



47 1 



for their inheritance ; and Coriantnmr should receive a 
burial by them ; and every soul should be destroyed 
save it were Coriantumr. 

But Coriantumr did not repent, neither his house- 
hold; and all the words of the Lord, through Ether, 
came to pass ; not the least of them remained unful- 



filled. 





BOOK OF MORMON CHRONOLOGY. 

THE EVENTS marked t are those about which the record does not 
appear sufficiently explicit to make the year certain. It is occa- 
sionally difficult to decide whether the circumstance narrated took 
place near the close of one year or in the commencement of the next. 

The four dates marked thus ** are based upon the supposition that 
Zeniff re-occupied the land of Nephi B. C. 200. This may not be 
the exact year, but it is approximate. 

The three dates marked thus * are based upon the idea that the 
•■young man." Alma, was twenty-five years old when the prophet 
Abinadi was martyred. 

The Book of Mormon appears to furnish no clue to the date of 
Lehi's colony landing in South America. It is supposed to have been 
about twelve years after its departure from Jerusalem. 

B. C. signifies before the birth of Christ; A. C. after Christ: N. 
A. signifies Xephite Annals, or years after the departure of Lehi 
from Jerusalem: Y. J., years of the Judges, or of the Republic. 

B.C. X.A. Y.J. 

Lehi and colony leave Jerusalem, and journey to the val- 
ley of Lemuel, by the Red Sea. The sons of Lehi 
return to Jerusalem and obtain the sacred records 
kept by Laban. 600 1 

Lehi and colony reach the land Bountiful, in Arabia, 

where Xephi commences to build a ship. 592 9 

Mulek, son of king Zedekiah, with a colony, leaves Jeru- 
salem. Lehi and his colony reach South America. 590 11 

A temple built, Jacob and Joseph consecrated priests, etc. 

before 571 30 

Wars and contentions between the Xephites and Laman- 

ites, during ten years previous to 561 40 

Xephi transfers the records to Jacob. The book of 

Jacob opens. 646 55 

Jacob, having committed the records into the hands of his 
son Enos, the latter transfers them to his son Jarom. 
Many wars between the Xephites and Lamanites 
during the days of Enos. 421 180 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



473 



The Nephites have increased and scattered much over the 
land; they strictly observe the law of Moses and are 
prospered. The Lamanites, much more numerous 
than the Nephites, often invade the Nephite lands. 401 200 
Jarom transfers the records to Omni. Many wars and 

contentions during Jarom's days. 362 239 

Omni has frequent wars with the Lamanites. 324 277 

Omni transfers the records to Amaron. 318 283 

The more wicked portion of the Nephites destroyed; the 
righteous preserved. Amaron transfers the records 
to Chemish. 280 321 

**About this date Zeniff leaves Zarahemla, with a colony, 
to re-occupy the land of Nephi. He makes a treaty 
with king Laman, and obtains the lands Lehi-Nephi 
and Shemlon. 200 401 

**The Lamanites make war with the people of Zeniff, but 

are repulsed with a loss of 3043 men. 183 418 

Alma, the elder, born in the land of Nephi. 173 428 

**King Laman having died, his son attacks the people of 

Zeniff, but is driven back. 161 440 

>: ° :< ZenirT confers the kingdom on his son Noah. 160 441 

Mosiah II. born in the land of Zarahemla. 154 447 

>!< I he prophet Abinadi appears in the land of Nephi, and 

reproves Noah and his subjects for their iniquities. 150 45 r 
^Abinadi again appears, prophesies, and is martyred. 148 453 

*Alma establishes a Christian Church at the waters of 
Mormon, and afterwards, because of king Noah's 
persecutions, removes with his people to Helam. 147 454 

First Christian Church established in Zarahemla by king 
Benjamin, who, at the same time, consecrates his son 
Mosiah king. 125 476 

A company sent by Limhi, son of Noah, to find Zara- 
hemla, wander into the north country, and discover 
numerous relics of the Jaredites. 123 478 

King Benjamin dies. A company of men, under Am- 
nion, start from Zarahemla to find their brethren in 
the land of Nephi. They succeed, help them to 
escape from the Lamanites, and bring them safely to 
Zarahemla. 122 479 



V.J. 



474 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



B.C. N.A. Y.J. 

Moroni, commander-in-chief of the Nephite armies, born. 99 502 

Alma, the elder, dies, aged eighty-two. King Mosiah II. 
dies, aged sixty-three. Alma, the younger, elected 
Chief Judge of the Republic. The sons of Mosiah, 
with other Elders, start on a mission to the Laman- 
ites in the land of Nephi. Priestcraft first introduced 
among the Nephites, by Nehor. Nehor slays the aged 
patriarch, Gideon ; is tried, condemned and executed. 
fKing Lamoni and his household converted by 
Ammon. 91 510 1 

Priestcraft spreads among the Nephites; pride and con- 
tention develop in the church, f A church established 
by Ammon among the Lamanites, in the land of 
Ishmael. 90 511 2 

Continued peace among the Nephites, notwithstanding 

persecutions and increased wickedness. 89 512 3 

Amlici, a disciple of Nehor, desires to be king and to 
destroy the true church ; his pretensions are rejected 
at a special election, by the voice of the people; he 
raises a rebellion, and is consecrated king by his 
followers. Amlici' s forces are defeated by the Ne- 
phites under Alma, at the hill Amnihu. The Laman- 
ites invade Zarahemla, are joined by the Amlicites, 
and the united armies are defeated by Alma, on the 
west bank of the Sidon. Another invading Lamanite 
army is defeated on the east bank of the Sidon, and 
driven back to their own lands. Peace restored. 
Aaron and other missionaries imprisoned by the La- 
manites in the land Middoni. 87 514 5 

The Nephites, because of their late afflictions, are hum- 
ble, and many are baptized, f Ammon and Lamoni 
proceed to Middoni, to release Aaron and his breth- 
ren. They meet Lamoni' s father on the way; he at- 
tempts to slay Ammon. fAntiomno, king of Mid- 
doni, releases the captive missionaries. 86 515 6 

3500 Nephites baptized into the church. Great peace 
and prosperity amongst them. fLamoni's father, 
king of all the Lamanites, baptized. He issues a 
proclamation in favor of the Nephi te missionaries. 85 516 7 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



475 



B.C. N.A. Y.J. 

Pride increasing in the Nephite church causes envyings, 

malice, strife and persecutions. 84 517 8 

Alma, on account of increasing iniquity, resigns the 
Chief-Judgeship, and nominates Nephihah as his suc- 
cessor, who is accepted by the voice of the people. 
Alma devotes himself entirely to the work of the 
ministry. He sets in order the churches in Zarahemla 
and Gideon. 83 518 9 

Alma, as presiding High Priest, visits and ministers to the 
people in Melek and Ammonihah. Amulek visited 
by an angel; he receives Alma into his house. They 
preach to the people of Ammonihah; are imprisoned 
and abused. Zeezrom, the lawyer, converted; after- 
wards healed of a fever and baptized. Those who 
accept the gospel are cast out of Ammonihah, while 
others, men, women and children, are martyred by 
fire. Alma and Amulek delivered, by the power of 
God, from prison ; the prison is destroyed, and 
with it their persecutors. Massacre of 1005 believ- 
ing Lamanites. 82 519 10 

The Lamanites, as foretold by Alma, destroy Ammoni- 
hah, with all its people, but are afterwards disas- 
trously defeated by Zoram. 81 520 n 

The church greatly increases during this and two follow- 
ing years. 80 521 12 

*f Second massacre of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. 79 522 13 

fThe people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi arrive in the land of 

Zarahemla. 78 523 14 

The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi established in the land of 
Jershon. The Lamanites pursue the Ammonites; 
are defeated by the Nephites with great slaughter. 77 524 15 

Korihor, the Anti-Christ, struck dumb, and afterwards 
killed in a city of the Zoramites. Alma and others 
proceed to Antionum and minister among the 
Zoramite dissenters; the majority reject their words, 
and afterwards cast out their believing brethren. 
The latter flee to the land of Jershon, while the un- 
repentant ally themselves with the Lamanites and 
prepare for war. 75 526 17 



476 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



The Ammonites remove to Melek. The Zoramites become 
Lamanites; the united armies occupy Antionum and 
attempt to invade Manti. They are defeated by 
Moroni and Lehi near the hill Riplah. The Laman- 
ites make a covenant of peace and return to then- 
own lands. The record of Alma closes. 

Alma transfers the records to his son Helaman ; leaves 
Zarahemla, as if to go to Melek, and is never heard 
of more. Dissenssions arise in the church; the dissen- 
ters endeavor to make Amalickiah king. Moroni 
rears the "Title of Liberty," the people rally thereto, 
and Amalickiah retreats into the wilderness; the 
greater portion of his followers are slain ; he escapes 
to the Lamanites, rises in power, poisons General Le- 
honti, kills the king, marries the queen, and is pro- 
claimed king. Moroni fortifies the Nephite cities. 
The Lamanites invade Ammonibah and Noah ; are 
repulsed with great loss and return to their own 
lands. 

Moroni commences his line of defence along the southern 
line of the Nephite possessions. The Lamanites 
driven out of the east wilderness. The founda- 
tions laid of Moroni, Lehi, Xephihah, and other 

cities. 

Never was a happier time among the people of Nephi. 

Contention between the people of the cities of Morianton 
and Lehi. The former flee northward : their flight 
arrested by Teancum, who defeats and slays their 
leader. The difficulty is settled, and both people 
return to their own possessions. Nephihah, the sec- 
ond Chief Judge, dies; his son, Pahoran, succeeds 
him. 

Great contentions between the "king men" and "free 
men." The people decide in favor of the continu- 
ance of % the Republic, upon which the monarchists 
revolt ; they refuse to take up arms against the in- 
vading Lamanites, but are defeated by Moroni, 4000 
slain, and the rest cast into prison. Amalickiah cap- 
tures the Nephite cities of Moroni, Nephihah, Lehi, 
Gid. Morianton, Omner, Mulek, etc., on the Atlantic 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



^77 



B.C. >\A. Y.J. 

coast. He is defeated by Teancum. Teancum enters 
the Lamanite camp at night and slays Amalickiah. 
The Lamanites retreat into Mulek. 67 534 25 

Ammoron, brother of Amalickiah, succeeds him as king 
of the Lamanites, and takes command of their 
armeis on the Pacific Coast. Moroni pays a short 
visit to the Nephite forces in the southwest. Teancum 
fortifies the land Bountiful and the Isthmus of Panama. 
The Ammonites desire to assist in the war, but because 
of their oath are not permitted; but 2000 of their 
sons, under Helaman, join the Nephite armies in the 
southwest, where they find that the Lamanites have 
captured the cities of Manti, Zeezrom, Cumeni and 
Antiparah. 66 535 26 

Moroni gathers fresh troops and reinforces Teancum in 
Bountiful. The Nephite forces in the southwest 
finish fortifying the city of Judea. rTremendous 
battle in the wilderness north of Judea; the Laman- 
ites defeated, but Antipus, the Nephite commander, 
is slain. 65 536 27 

Mulek re-captured by Moroni, Lehi and Teancum. 
Jacob, the Lamanite general, killed. Lehi placed 
in command at Mulek. The Lamanite prisoners 
compelled to dig a ditch around and fortify the city 
Bountiful. The city of Antiparah vacated by the 
Lamanites and re-occupied by the Nephites. 64 537 28 

Pachus revolts against the Commonwealth, and endeavors 
to establish a monarchy. Moroni re-captures Gid, 
and releases large numbers of Nephite prisoners. 
Six thousand men, from Zarahemla, join the Nephite 
armies in the southwest. The Lamanites surrender 
Cumeni. The Nephites drive the Lamanites east- 
ward to the land of Manti. They are afterwards 
driven out of that region by Helaman. Helaman 
writes an epistle to Moroni, complaining of want of 
reinforcements. 63 53S 29 

Pachus drives the Chief Judge out of Zarahemla : he seeks 
safety in Gideon. Pachus opens a treasonable corres- 
pondence with the Lamanites. Moroni, having re- 
28 



47 8 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



B.C. N.A. Y.J. 

ceived Helaman's epistle, writes twice to Pahoran; on 
receiving the latter' s reply, he gathers up. troops and 
goes to his aid. The united forces of Moroni and 
Pahoran defeat Pachus, who is slain, and the rebel- 
lion is put down. The Lamanite troops, driven out 
of the southwest, capture the city of Nephihah. 62 539 30 

Provisions and 6000 men sent to the relief of Helaman ; 
the same to the commanders in the east. A battle 
fonght on the road between Zarahemla and Nephi- 
hah. 4000 Lamanite prisoners make a covenant of 
peace, and are sent to join the Ammonites. Nephi- 
hah surprised and captured by Moroni. Lehi and 
several other cities on the Atlantic coast recaptured 
by the Nephite generals. Teancum slays Ammoron 
in the city of Moroni, and is himself slain by Ammo- 
ron's servants. The city is captured by the Ne- 
phrites, and the Lamanites are driven to their own 
lands. 61 540 31 

Moroni fortifies the southern boundaries of the Nephites, 
returns to Zarahemla, and transfers the command of 
the Nephite forces to his son Moronihah. Hela- 
man and his fellow-laborers re-establish the church; 
great humility of its members. 60 541 32 

The Nephites begin to recover from the demoralization 

and disorganization incident to the protracted war. 59 542 33 

Helaman dies. fShiblon takes charge of the sacred 

P^tes. 57 544 35 

Moroni dies, aged 43. 56 545 36 

Five thousand four hundred Nephites, with their families, 
leave Zarahemla to colonize the north country. 
Hagoth establishes ship-building yards on the Pacific 
side of the Isthmus. 55 546 37 

Large migration northward. Two of Hagoth' s ships 

never again seen after leaving port. 54 547 38 

Shiblon dies; the sacred records, etc., transferred to 
I [elaman, the younger. Some Nephites dissent and 
go over to the Lamanites; the latter invade Zara- 
hemla, but are driven out by Moronihah. Pahoran 
dies. The Book of Alma closes. 53 548 39 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 479 



B.C. X.A. Y.J. 

The Book of Helaman commences. Tubaloth king of the 
Lamanites. Three of Pahoran's sons contend for 
the judgment seat. The people choose Pahoran, 
the younger. His brother Paanchi, rebels, for which 
he his tried, condemned and executed. One of his 
adherents, Kishkumen, assassinates Pahoran. Pacu- 
meni chosen Chief Judge. The Gadianton robber 
bands organized. 52 549 40 

The Lamanites, under Coriantumr, invade Zarahemla, 
capture the city, slay Pacumeni, and advance north- 
ward. Afterwards the Nephite forces, under Moron i- 
hah and Lehi, destroy the invading army. Corian- 
tumr slain. 51 550 41 

Helaman elected Chief Judge; Kishkumen attempts to 
assassinate him, but is himself slain. Gadianton and 
his band flee into the wilderness. 50 551 42 

Much contention among the Nephites. Many emigrate 

north, as far as the great lakes. 46 555 46 

Great contentions. Helaman fills the judgment seat with 

justice and equity. 45 556 47 

The contentions measurably cease ; the church is greatly 
prospered; tens of thousands baptized. The Gadian- 
ton robbers secretly increase in the more thickly 
settled portions of the land. 43 558 49 

Pride increases; the^more humble members of the church 

persecuted. 41 560 51 

Helaman dies ; his son Nephi succeeds him as Chief 

Judge. 39 562 53 

Contentions and bloodshed among the Nephites ; the 

rebellious affiliate with the Lamanites. 38 563 54 

More dissenters go over to the Lamanites, who are all the 

year preparing tor war. 36 565 56 

The Lamanites invade Zarahemla ; the Nephites, owing 
to their dissensions and wickedness, are everywhere 
driven before them. . 35 566 57 

The Lamanites overrun all the Nephite possessions as far 
as the land Bountiful. The Nephites fortify the 
Isthmus. 34 5 6 7 5 s 

The Lamanites obtain possession of all South America. 33 568 59 



480 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



Moronihah reconquers the most northern portions of 

South America. 32 569 60 

The Nephites regain about half their possessions, Zara- 
hemla remaining in the hands of the Lamanites. 
Under the preaching of Nephi, and others, the 
Nephites commence to repent. 31 570 61 

No more 1 Nephite successes, on account of the lack of 
faith in the people. Nephi delivers up the judgment 
seat to Cezoram. Nephi and Lehi, having preached 
to the Nephites, go over to the Lamanites in the 
land of Zarahemla ; 8000 of that people are baptized. 
They then proceed to the land of Nephi, where they 
are imprisoned, but delivered by marvelous mani- 
festations from heaven. The voice of the Lord is 
heard by those assembled at the prison, and they are 
surrounded by fire. The greater part of the Laman- 
ites are converted, and they surrender to the Nephites 
all the lands they had taken from them. 30 571 62 

The Lamanites exceed the Nephites in righteousness, and 
many of their missionaries preach in Zarahemla, and 
the land northward ; Nephi and Lehi, also, go north. 
Universal peace prevails throughout all the continent, 
and both Nephites and Lamanites travel, unre- 
strictedly, in all parts. 29 572 63 

An era of great prosperity. Much preaching and pro- 
phecy by the servants of God. 27 574 65 

Chief Judge Cezoram slaim by a Gadianton robber ; his 

son and successor suffers the same fate. 26 575 66 

The Nephites again growing exceedingly wicked, the 
greater part unite with the Gadianton robbers; they 
also build up to themselves idols of gold and silver. 25 576 67 

The Lamanites grow in righteousness, while the Nephites 
increase in iniquity. The Gadianton bands are utterly 
destroyed from among the Lamanites, but are so 
greatly encouraged by the Nephites that they obtain 
sole management of the government. 24 577 68 

Chief Judge Seezoram assassinated by his brother, Sean- 
turn. Nephi, rejected by the people in the north, 
returns to Zarahemla; he notifies the people of the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



481 



B.C. N.A. Y.J. 

murder of Seezoram, is arrested as an accessory, but 
afterwards released. The Lord makes a covenant 
with him, and directs him to continue his ministra- 
tions. 23 578 69 
Nephi, preserved by the miraculous power of God, preaches 

from land to land. 22 579 70 

Division, even to bloodshed, prevails among the Nephites. 21 580 71 
Contentions and wars throughout all the land, 20 581 72 

The internal wars, originating with the Gadianton robbers, 
still continue. To stay the bloodshed, Nephi prays 
for a famine: his prayer is answered. 19 582 73 

The famine continues and spreads. 18 583 74 

The whole land, both among the Nephites and Laman- 
ites, smitten with the famine : thousands die of hun- 
ger and pestilence. The people, in their extremity 
begin to repent ; they exterminate the Gadianton 
bands. 17 584 75 

The Lord sends rain, and the earth brings forth abun- - 
dantly. Nephi is reverenced as a servant of God by 
all the people. 16 585 76 

The people rapidly increase; the major part of both 

peoples belong to the church. 15 586 77 

Slight contentions on doctrinal questions. 14 587 78 

The controversies increase; Nephi and Lehi receive many 

revelations and put an end to the disputes. 13 588 79 

Dissenters search out the ancient abominations, re-estab- 
lish the Gadianton bands and commence war. 12 589 80 
The robbers grow strong ; defy the united armies of the 
Nephites and Lamanites ; commit depredations and 
carry off many prisoners. Great loss of life on both 
sides. 11 590 81 
The Nephites again begin to forget the Lord. The 

Lamanites remain faithful. 10 591 82 

The people wax strong in iniquity. 9 592 83 

The people do not mend their ways. 8 593 84 

The people grow in wickedness and ripen for destruction. 7 594 85 
Samuel, the Lamanite, prophesies on the walls of Zara- 
hemla ; some attempt to kill him, others believe. 
The latter seek Nephi and are baptized. Samuel 



482 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



B.C. N.A. Y.J. 

escapes to his own land. Nephi performs many 

miracles. * 6 595 86 

The greater portion of the people remain in their pride 
and wickedness, the lesser portion walking more cir- 
cumspectly before God. 5 596 87 

The people grow more hardened. 3 598 89 

The words of the prophets commence to be fulfilled ; 
signs and wonders appear, betokening the near 
advent of the Savior; angels are seen by many; yet 
the people still harden their hearts. The Book of 
Helaman closes. 2 599 90 

The Third Book of Nephi opens. Nephi departs out of 
the land, and is never again seen. Lachoneus, Chief 
Judge and Governor. 1 600 91 

A.C. 

The promised signs of the Redeemer's birth appear, much 
to the joy of believers. The two days and nights of 
constant light ; a new star appears. The majority of 
the people join the church. The Nephites reckon 
their time from the Messiah's advent. 1 601 92 

The Gadianton robbers commit many murders; the 

people not strong enough to overpower them. 2 602 

Dissensions increase, owing to many joining the robber 

bands, especially among the young. 3 603 

Wickedness and unbelief greatly increase. 4 604 

Evil continues to gain strength to this time. Gadianton 
bands grow so numerous that both Nephites and , 
Lamanites take up arms against them. 13 613 

The robbers driven into their secret fastnesses in the 

mountains and the wilderness. 14 614 

Owing to dissensions, the robbers gain many advantages. 15 615 

Giddianhi, the robber chief, writes an epistle to Lachoneus, 
calling upon the Nephites to surrender. Gidgiddoni 
chosen commander of the Nephi te forces. Lachoneus 
decides to gather all the Nephites from both conti- 
nents into the lands of Zarahemlaand Bountiful, and 
fortify against the attacks of the robbers. 16 616 

The people, with all their movable substance and seven 

years' provisions, gather at the appointed place. 17 617 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



483 



In the latter part of the year the robbers sally out of their 
hiding places and occupy the lands deserted by the 
people. 18 618 

The robbers, under Giddianhi, attack the Nephit.es. The 
slaughter more terrible than in any previous battle 
among the children of Lehi; Giddianhi is slain, 
the robbers are defeated and pursued to the borders 
of the wilderness. 19 619 

The robbers do not venture to again attack the Nephites 

Zemnarihah made chief of the robber bands. 20 620 

The robbers surround and ineffectually besiege the 
Nephites, who make many sorties and slay tens of 
thousands of them ; the robbers attempt to concen- 
trate on the northern continent, but are cut off, their 
armies destroyed, and many thousands taken prison- 
ers; among whom is Zemnarihah, who is afterwards 
hanged. The Nephites greatly rejoice in their mar- 
velous deliverance. 21 621 

All the Nephites believe the words of the prophets; right- 
eousness prevails. They preach to the robber prison- 
ers; all who make a covenant to murder no more are 
set at liberty, those who refuse are punished according 
to the law. 22 622 

The Nephites all return to their own lands on both conti- 
nents. 26 626 

The laws revised according to justice and equity ; great 

order throughout the land. 27 627 

Many new cities built and old ones repaired ; numerous 

other improvements made. 28 628 

Disputings and contentions re-commence ; pride and other 

evils increase. • 29 629 

Lachoneus, the younger, Governor. The church broken 
up, except among a few Lamanites. Many prophets 
testify and are persecuted ; some are executed contrary 
to law. The officers committing these crimes, on 
being called to account, rebel and seek to establish a 
monarchy, with Jacob as king. The chief judge is 
assassinated, and the ancient iniquitous combinations 
re-introduced. The Nephite Commonwealth is 



4«4 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



A.C. X.A. 



broken up, and the people divided into numerous 
tribes. Jacob leads his followers into the northern- 
most part of the land. 30 630 

The various tribes more fully regulated. Nephi performs 
many miracles; among others, raises his brother 
Timothy from the dead. But few are converted to 
the Lord. 31 631 

Nephi continues his preaching and ministry; a few accept 

his message. 32 632 

Many join the church. 33 633 

On the fourth day of the new year the signs of Christ's 
crucifixion commence. An unparalleled storm rages 
for three hours, convulsing the land and destroying 
many cities. It is followed by three day's darkness. 
The voice of the Lord is heard proclaiming the des- 
truction that had happened. Jesus appears to the 
people in the land Bountiful. He preaches his Gospel, 
performs many mighty works, and chooses twelve 
disciples. Nephi, the son of Nephi, takes the records. 34 634 

All the people are converted, and the church becomes 

{Universal. - The believers have all things in common. 36 636 

The disciples of Jesus work many wonderful miracles. 37 637 

The people again becoming numerous. Zarahemla and 

other cities rebuilt. 59 659 

All the original twelve disciples, except the three who 

were to tarry, have died by this date. 100 700 

The first generation in Christ have passed away. Nephi, 
the recorder, dies, and his son Amos takes charge of 
the records. 110 710 

Amos dies. During his days a few apostatize and take 
the name of Lamanites. His son, Amos, takes charge 
of the records. 194 794 

All the second generation have passed away, except a 

few. 200 800 

Pride appears in the church; its members have their 

goods no more in common, and sects arise. 201 801 

Many churches established opposed to the true church of 

Christ. 210 810 

The wicked increase; the disciples and saints persecuted. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



485 



A.C. N.A. 



The three Nephites perform many miracles, from the 

last date to 230 830 

The people divided into Nephites and Lamanites. • 231 831 

The more wicked portion of the people have grown much 

the stronger. 244 844 

The wicked build up many expensive churches to their 

false faiths. . 250 850 

The members of the true church, or Nephites, begin to 
grow proud and sinful. The Gadianton iniquities . 
are again developed. 260 860 

Both Nephites and Lamanites have grown exceedingly 
wicked ; none are righteous except the three disciples. 
The Gadianton robbers have spread over all the 
land. 300 900 

Amos transfers the records to his brother Ammaron, and 

dies. 306 906 

Mormon born. 311 911 

Ammaron hides up the records in the hill Shim. 321 921 

Mormon, the father of Mormon, takes his son to Zara- 
hemla. War commences between the Nephites and 
Lamanites ; a number of battles are fought in which 
the Nephites are victorious. Commencement of 
Mormon's record. 322 922 

The three Nephites cease to minister among the people, 
because of their iniquities. Things hidden in the 
earth become slippery. Mormon endeavors to 
preach, but his mouth is shut. War re-commences, 
and Mormon is chosen general of the Nephite ar- 
mies. 326 926 

The Nephites, under Mormon, retreat before the Laman- 
ites to the north countries. The Lamanites capture 
the city of Angola. 327 927 

fThe Lamanites drive the Nephites out of the land of 

David into the land of Joshua. 328 928 

^Revolution, blood and carnage throughout all the land. 
The Nephite warriors gather for battle into one 
place. . 329 929 

The Lamanite king, Aaron, defeated by Mormon. 330 930 



4 86 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



A.C. N.A. 



Great sorrow among the Nephites, because of their piti- 
able condition. 331 931 

Mormon obtains the plates, as Ammaron directed. 335 935 

Wars, with much slaughter, until 344 944 

The Lamanites drive the Nephites to the land Jashon, 
thence northward to the land of Shem. The Nephites 
fortify the city of Shem. 345 945: 

Mormon, with 30,000 Nephites, defeats 50,000 Lamanites 
in the land of Shem; he pursues and again defeats 
the enemy. 346 946 

The Nephites regain the lands of their inheritance by the 

end of the year 349 949 

The Nephites as one party, and the Lamanites and 
Gadiantons as the other, make a treaty, by which the 
Nephites possess the country north of the Isthmus, 
and the Lamanites that south of it. Ten years' 
peace follows. 350 950 

By the command of the Lord, Mormon preaches repent- 
ance, but the Nephites harden their hearts, during 
the ten years ending 360 960 

The Lamanite king declares war; the Nephites gather at 

the land Desolation. 360 960 

The Lamanites march to Desolation, are defeated and re- 
turn home. 361 961 

The Lamanites make another invasion and are defeated. 

Mormon refuses to lead the Nephites any longer. 362 962 

The Nephites invade South America, and are driven back 
to Desolation. The Lamanites capture the city of 
Desolation. 363 963 

The Lamanites besiege Teancum, are repulsed, and the 

Nephites re-capture Desolation. 364 964 

The Lamanites re-commence war; they capture the cities 
of Desolation and Teancum, but are afterwards 
driven entirely out of the lands of the Nephites. 367 967 

The Lamanites again commence war. An exceedingly 
fierce battle is fought in the land of Desolation. 
The Lamanites capture Desolation, Boaz and other 
( ities. Mormon takes up all the records from the 
hill Shim. 375 975. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



487 



Mormon, having resumed command of the Nephites, the 
Lamanites twice attack the city of Jordon, and are 
repulsed. They burn many Nephite towns. 379 979 

The Nephites disastrously routed. 380 980 

tMormon writes to the Lamanite king, asking to be 
allowed to gather all his people to the hill Cumorah, 
and there give battle. His request is granted. 382 982 

At the end of this year all the Nephites are gathered at 

the hill Cumorah. 384 984 

Mormon hides all the records entrusted to him in the hill 
Cumorah, save the abridged records, which he gives 
to Moroni. The final battle, in which all but twenty- 
four Nephites are killed, and a few who escape to 
the south. Mormon closes his record. 385 985 

Moroni records the death of his father and the extinction 
of his people, also that the Lamanites were at war 
with each other all over the land. 400 1000 

Moroni closes his record. 421 1021 



APPENDIX. 



THE COMING FORTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON IN THE 
LATTER DAYS. 

JN THE course of nature, Moroni died, and in the 
Lord's due time he was resurrected.* The sacred 
records, with the other holy things that he had buried 
in Cumorah, still remained in his care. On him the 
duty fell- to watch that no unsandtified hands disturbed 
their rest. When the time set in the councils of 
heaven for their translation came, he delivered them to 
the instrument chosen by the Holy Ones on high. He, 
having accomplished his work, returned them to 
Moroni, who still keeps ward and watch over these 
treasures. 

But was there any fear that the records would be 
disturbed by unholy hands? We believe there was. 
It must not be forgotten that the Lamanites of the days 
of Moroni were not the benighted savages of earlier 
centuries. They were not the pure blood of Lainan 
and his associates. They were dissenters from the 
Nephites, apostates from the true church; and the}' 
were as well acquainted with the fact that the records 
existed as the prophet himself. In the days of Mor- 
mon he removed the plates from the hill Shim, for the 
very reason that he feared the Lamanites would get 

*Joseph Smith's answer to the question, How and where did you obtain 
the Book of Mormon ? — Moroni, who deposited the plates (from whence the 
Book of Mormon was translated), in a hill in Manchester, Ontario County. 
New York, being dead and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me, and 
told me where they were, and gave me directions how to obtain them. I 
obtained them, and the Urim and Thummim with them, by the means of 
which I translated the plates, and thus came the Book of Mormon. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



489 



hold of and destroy them. There were the same rea- 
sons for fear should they discover their resting place in 
Cumorah. 

The tradition of the existence of these records 
remained for long ages with the Lamanites ; undoubt- 
edly growing fainter and fainter and more confused as 
the centuries rolled by, but still not entirely extin- 
guished. Indeed the remembrance is not utterty oblit- 
erated in the minds of some of Lehi's children to this 
very day. 

So strong was this recollection in earlier days, that 
we are told of a time when a council of wise men, with 
royal consent, made an attempt to rewrite them. How 
successful they were we have no means of telling; but 
this we know, that when the Spaniards conquered 
Mexico the land was full of sacred books. These so 
much resembled the Bible of the Christians that the 
Catholic priests came to the conclusion that it was a 
trick of the devil to imitate the holy scriptures, and in 
this way lead the souls of the Indians to perdition. In 
their bigoted zeal they burned every copy of these 
books or charts that they could find, and inflicted 
abominably cruel punishments upon those who were 
found concealing them. In this way almost every 
copy of these valuable works were destroyed. 

Though the original records were hidden by the 
power of God, it is quite possible that many copies of 
the scriptures remained in the hands of the Lamanites 
when the Nephites were destroyed. In the Book of 
Mormon frequent reference is made to the abundance 
of these copies. No doubt in the last desolating wars 
between the Nephites and Lamanites but little care was 
taken of these scriptures. Both people had sunken 



490 STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

deep in iniquity ; they cared nothing for the word of 
God, and probably, as we may infer from Mormon's 
apprehensions, the Lamanites destroyed all the copies 
of the holy books that they found. Still, it is not 
improbable that some few of these works remained 
untouched; and when the Lamanites had gotten over 
their first overwhelming bitterness and aversion to 
everything Nephite, and again began to grow in civil- 
ization, they would search for these records, if for 
nothing else than as valued curiosities; though we 
think they sometimes prized them much more highly. 

The plates having been guarded by the power of 
God, were translated by the same power. No book was 
ever translated more accurately ; none, by human wis- 
dom, as faultlessly as the Book of Mormon.* 

Joseph Smith, the youth whom God honored by 
making him the instrument in his hands of restoring 
these precious records to the knowledge of mankind, 
was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, Ver- 
mont, on the 23rd of December, 1805. When about 
ten years of age his parents, with their family, 
moved to Palmyra, in the State of New York, in the 
vicinity of which place he lived for about eleven years ; 
the latter portion of the time in a village called Man- 
chester. Joseph helped his father on the farm, hired 
out at day-work, and passed his years very much after 
the manner common to young men in the rural dis- 
tricts. His advantages for obtaining anything beyond 
the rudiments of education were exceedingly small: 
he could read without much difficulty, write an imper- 

:: In council with the Twelve Apostles, Joseph Smith said, I told the 
brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on 
earth, and the ke ystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God 
by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 49 1 

feet hand, and had bnt a very limited understanding of 
arithmetic. 

The circumstances attending Joseph's first vision 
in the early spring of 1820, when he saw the Father 
and the Son, have been so often published, and must 
necessarily be so familiar to our readers, that with this 
bare reference to the fact we will pass them by. It is 
sufficient for the purpose of our present research to 
know that this marvelously important event did 
happen. Then and there the corner stone was laid of 
the vast fabric to God's glory of which Joseph was the 
master builder, when mortal beings alone are con- 
sidered. 

On the evening of the 21st of September, 1823, ne 
retired to his bed in a serious and contemplative state 
of mind. He shortly betook himself to prayer to the 
Almighty for a manifestation of his standing before 
him, and endeavored to exercise faith in the precious 
promises of scripture. We will continue in his own 
words; he says: On a sudden a light like that of day, 
only of a far purer and more glorious appearance and 
brightness, burst into the room, indeed the first sight 
was as though the house was filled with consuming 
fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the 
whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me 
surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with 
which I was already surrounded. This messenger pro- 
claimed himself to be an angel of God,* sent to bring 
the joyful tidings, that the covenant which God made 
with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the 
preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah 
was speedily to commence ; that the time was at hand 



*Moroni. 



492 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



for the Gospel, in all its fulness, to be preached in 
power unto all nations, that a people might be prepared 
for the millennial reign. I was informed that I was 
chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to 
bring about some of his purposes in this glorious dis- 
pensation. I was also informed concerning the 
aboriginal inhabitants of this country, and shown who 
they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch 
of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, govern- 
ments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the 
blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them 
as a people, was made known unto me. I was also 
told where there were deposited some ~\ lates, on which 
were engraved an abridgment of the records of the 
ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. 
The angel appeared to me three .times the same night 
and unfolded the same things. 

The next day after this glorious appearing Joseph 
went to the place which the angel had designated. 
There he found the plates and the other holy things. 
But he was not permitted by the angel to remove them. 
They must remain in the stone box in whith Moroni 
had placed them until the time determined, by the 
heavens, for their removal had arrived. Btit he was 
instructed to visit the spot, open the box, and look at 
the records, on precisely the same evening of each suc- 
ceeding year until he had liberty given him to take 
them in his charge. This Joseph did; and on each 
occasion the angel met him and gave him such instruc- 
tions, light, and intelligence as the youthful seer 
needed. 

At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, 
the Urim and Thummim, and the Breastplate. On the 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



493 



twenty-second day of September, 1827, having gone as 
usual, at the end of another year, to the place where 
they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger 
delivered them up to him with this charge, that he should 
be responsible for them ; that if he should let them go 
carelessly or through any neglect of his, he should be 
cut off ; but that if he would use all his endeavors to 
preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for 
them, they should be protected. 

The same night that Joseph obtained the plates mar- 
velous things appeared in the heavens. It would seem 
as though all eternity was stirred by the greatness of 
the events that vere about to take place. The powers 
of light and of darkness were at war; the hosts of 
heaven were marshaled ; Satan's kingdom was totter- 
ing ; the time had arrived for the commencement of the 
preparatory work that would usher in the reign of 
Christ as King over all the earth. 

The late President Heber C. Kimball relates that on 
that eventful night he saw a white smoke arise on the 
eastern horizon, which formed itself, with a noise like 
that of a nighty wind, into a belt, as it uprose; even- 
tually forming a bow across the heavens from the 
eastern to the western horizon. He further says : In 
this bow an army moved, commencing from the east 
and marching to the west ; they continued marching 
until they reached the western horizon. They moved 
in platoons, and walked so close that the rear ranks 
trod in the steps of their file leaders, until the whole 
bow was literally crowded with soldiers. We could dis- 
tinctly see the muskets, bayonets and knapsacks of the 
men, who wore caps and feathers like those used by 
the American soldiers in the last war with Britain ; and 



494 



STORY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. 



also saw their officers with their swords and equipage, 
and the clashing and jingling of their implements of 
war, and could discover the forms and features of the 
men. The most profound order existed throughout 
the entire army ; when the foremost man stepped, every 
man stepped at the same time; I could hear the steps. 
When the front rank reached the western horizon a 
battle ensued, as we could distinctly hear the report of 
arms and the rush. 

Thus with signs upon earth and wonders in the 
heavens was the record of the mighty dead of this con- 
tinent brought forth again by the power and wisdom of 



God. 





